Hundreds of Canadians are waiting for stem-cell transplants, but only half of them will find a donor, according to Canadian Blood Services. For multiracial patients, the chances of finding a match are infinitely smaller.
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Why is it so hard for people of mixed race to find suitable donors?
A lot of people think of it as blood…But this has to do with your genetic background, what you would call a “genetic twin.” Basically, when you’re trying to find your genetic twin, a lot of times, it’s someone who has similar ancestry….
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What happens when you receive a transplant from someone who isn’t a perfect match?
You’re taking a chance because people can develop what’s called graft-versus-host disease, which is when the body attacks it because you’re introducing a foreign substance.
Related on the SLP
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Why do some people object to recruiting donors by specific ethnic groups?
When it comes to race and ethnicity, the idea of filling out the box and categories can be a little challenging to some people because maybe they don’t want to be labelled or put in boxes.
But at the same time, this is how we categorize people because [this is what] we need to know….
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: The stem-cell struggle: Multiracial patients’ hunt for a match
