Woman inspired by aunt's cancer diagnosis to sign people up for stem cell registry

After a family member was diagnosed with cancer, one Placentia, N.L. woman threw herself into promoting the stem cell registry and encouraging strangers to become donors for those in need.

Chloe Griffiths started volunteering with Canadian Blood Services'saving lives programafter her aunt Penney Simms was diagnosed with cancer. She said this summer she's been signing up as many people as she can for the stem cell registry.

"When all this came about, I was pretty much completely uninformed about the process of it and just how important it is, and the lack of people who are on the registry," Griffiths told CBC News.

"I felt it's so important to get more people to sign up and be aware of how small the procedure is and how easy it is to give, and to actually give someone another chance at life."

In her volunteering, she's come across a few misconceptions, including that people think donating includes invasive surgery or a needle extracting bone marrow.

"To be honest, that was what I thought myself," said Griffiths.

The donation process is like a routine blood draw, she said, with donors getting medication to increase their stem cell count in their blood, which is then separated into the stem cells and blood components.

Griffiths said people between the ages of 17 and 35 are eligible to be donors and have to be in good health.

"So obviously no blood disorders or any serious things like cancer or things of that sort, and just a willingness to donate to anyone who's in need," said Griffiths.

The age limit can be a limiting factor for people interested in signing up, she said.

"A lot of people have reached out and been so willing and really wanted to do it, but just haven't been fitting the age range," said Griffiths.

She added people who haven't been able to sign up have promoted the registry online, sharing it with people who do fit the criteria.

Aunt isproud

Simms, who is from Corner Brook, said she's been overwhelmed by what Griffiths has done in the past few months.

"I'm so proud of Chloe and I'm so thankful for all the effort and attention that she has given this topic," said Simms, speaking from St. John's, where she'sreceiving treatment.

In Simms's case, she doesn't need to tap into the registry to find a donor, because this is her first time with cancer and for her particular cancer, she can use her own stem cells.

"But that's a one-shot deal for me. So if this cancer reoccurs, I can't use my own," said Simms, adding recurrence of cancer is common.

"That's where donors really become critical."

Simms said many people aren't so fortunate and don't have the option of using their own stem cells, and is urging others to sign for the registry.

"I would say you have absolutely nothing to lose," said Simms."It's not a painful experience, it's not a surgery, it's not what we think it is. It's really quite simple and you could save a life."

Shesaid six months ago she never would have thought she'd be diagnosed with brain cancer and would need a stem cell transplant.

"We just never know where life is going to take us," said Simms.

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