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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, D ecem ber 9, 2 0 1 6 | 1 4 Holiday fundraiser aims to help leukemia patients by Julia Le Oakville Beaver Staff A Christmas Mix-and-Mingle fundraiser in Oakville is hoping to ease some of the financial burdens experienced by leukemia patients and their families during the holiday season. Registered charity DonorDrive4Dorothy is hosting the annual event, now in its second year, this Saturday (Dec. 10) at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 1494 Wallace Rd., between 6 p.m.-1 a.m. The holiday party features food by Christopher Woods Catering, music and dancing, prizes, raffles, a silent auction and cash bar. Tickets cost $45. Mississauga resident Dorothy Vernon-Brown, the face of the drive, will be speaking at the Christmas fundraiser about her life-changing journey in being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. She has gone from moments of utter devastation and despair to moments of renewed hope, recovery and an iron-clad will to beat the odds. "Cancer not only affects the individual, it impacts an entire family," said Vernon-Brown, DonorDrive4Dorothy spokesperson and a leukemia survivor, in a media release. DorothyVernon-Brown | Dorothy Santos fendSat ................... D a ily Your ability store.Our passion. u v j ng G ra b B a rs S h o w e r S to o ls "Our second Christmas Mix-and-Mingle is hoping to ease the burden of an unbearable situation for two leukemia patients and their families. During this season of joy and giving, we also want to inspire hope in other patients who need a stem cell match to survive, but do not have a related donor." The two leukemia patients are black and are undergoing treatment for a fighting chance to survive the disease. Statistics show people of black race are extremely underrepresented in Canada' s OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network -- only one per cent of donors are black compared to 70 per cent donors who are Caucasian, according to a release from DonorDrive4Dorothy Only 25 per cent of leukemia patients are likely to find a perfect stem cell match from a related family member, the media release states. It' s even more difficult to find a compatible match from an unrelated donor and usually that match comes from your own ethnic group. Through DonorDrive4Dorothy, VernonBrown hopes to raise more awareness in the Afro-Canadian community about blood stem cell donation to increase the potential donor pool for ethnic groups. Successful stem cell transplantation saves the lives of patients with blood disorders, like leukemia, sickle cell and aplastic anemia, who do not have a related donor match. For other ways to help, consider: · getting your cheek swabbed at a walk-in self-swab clinic run by the Canadian Blood Service, at an upcoming swab event or order the Do-It-Yourself kit online (if you're between the ages of 17-35); · donating blood -- cancer patients need a lot of blood transfusions; · volunteering with DonorDrive4Dorothy -- help out at a swabbing event and help increase the chances of a patient finding his or her perfect match; · donating to the cause. For more information, visit www. donordrive4dorothy.org. T r a n s fe r B e n c h e s T u b M o u n t G ra b B a rs CPAP T h e r a p y S u p p lie s H o s p ita l B e d s | B e d R a ils O v e r B e d T a b le s | D re s s in g A id s M o b ilit y S c o o te rs | W h e e lc h a ir s S ta ir L ifts | V e h ic le L ifts | P o rc h L ifts S IN C E 1 9 8 8 L if t a n d R e c lin e C h a irs | L if t in g D e v ic e s a n d m u c h m o r e ! W e c a n h e lp y o u w it h y o u r o m e H e a lth C a re n e e d s & w e l l d o it w it h a s m ile ! VO; 4 O ff a cce ss a b ilitie s Your ability store.Our passion. Mention this ad & save 20% on all lift chairs until December 24,2016 does not include third party funded items 549 Bronte Rd, Oakville 905-825-5335 416-237-9654 W IN T E R P R O M O 1 5 % O F F R E F IN IS H IN G A N T IQ U E H A R D W O O D F L O O R IN G 290 Speers Road, O akville w w w .antiquehardw oodflooring.ca J & j a c c e s s a b ilit ie s l\ * ll Your ability store.Our passion. 154 Norseman St, Etobicoke i nfo@accessabi l i t ies. ca D Q R www.accessabilities.ca 905-825-8551 f o llo w us to see t h e latest tr en d s Authorized ADP/WSIB/VAC Vendor. Licensed Medical Devices Establishment We will always happily honour our local competitor's prices.