Calgary family launches life-saving stem cell donor drive
The family of a Calgary teen battling a rare form of cancer has launched a stem cell donor drive in an attempt to find a life-saving match.
A competitive swimmer, Julian Ho, 15, had his life turned upside down in February 2020 after a training session.
Unusually tire after swim practices, Julian's parents took him to see their family doctor, and blood tests were ordered.
The next day he was taken to Alberta Children's Hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
He was kept in hospital and underwent five rounds of chemotherapy, where he experienced fungal infections and other complications.
In August 2020 he was allowed to return home, then a monthly bone marrow exam in November 2020 showed the cancer had returned.
Julian would need a stem cell donor, but the pandemic made that difficult. His mother -- who was above the usual age of between 17 and 35 for donors – was healthy and turned out to be a half match for Julian, so a transplant was done in February.
Four weeks later, his body had adapted to the stem cells and he was released home to recover in March, where he was able to finish Grade 9.
Then in mid-July, the cancer returned once again, meaning Julian is in need of another stem cell transplant.
So far, no suitable donor has been found, so his parents launched the donor drive.
Because he has Chinese ancestry, doctors say his best hope is to find someone with similar Asian heritage. Only 3.9 per cent of those registered in the Canadian Blood Services’ Stem Cell Registry are of Chinese descent, making it hard for patients like Julian to find a match.
The family's stem cell drive is searching for potential donors between the ages of 17 and 35 to register and receive a swab kit from Canadian Blood Services.
If you are between the ages of 17 and 35 and are of Asian descent, you could be the life saving match and hope that Julian desperately needs! Register as a potential donor here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.