www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, July 23, 2010 · 10 For the Health of Our Community Umbilical cord blood second option Continued from page 8 Thank you to the Advocis Peel Halton Chapter for organizing a great networking event on Wednesday, July 14 at Alice Fazooli's in Oakville. Proceeds raised from the raffle and silent auction will be donated to the Oakville Hospital Foundation to purchase essential medical equipment for our community hospital. The `On the Grapevine' social networking event is a great way of connecting with insurance and investment advisors, estate planning professionals, lawyers, accountants and political leaders in our community. A special thank you to Halton MPP Ted Chudleigh for attending this event and giving a speech on the importance of supporting your local hospital. To learn more about the Advocis Peel Halton Chapter, please visit their website at http://advocisph.ca To learn more about our community partner programs and events taking place in Oakville, please visit www.oakvillehospitalfoundation.com Thank you for the health of our community. PLAY A ROUND WITH A FRIEND AT Hidden Lake Lowville Golf Club Golf Club Fri., Sat., Sun. after 11:00 AM Mon. after 1:00 PM July 31st Thru August 3 Fri., Sat., Sun. & Mon. July 31st Thru August 3 after 11:00 AM and register because they have heard of his need," said Pride. "But, also, they are making themselves available to any patient who is in need of a stem cell transplant." Despite the critical situation David is in, he is more concerned about his schoolwork and falling behind. He just finished his first year at Trent University in Peterborough, taking political science, where he obtained an 80 per cent average. He is also taking a summer course in political theory at the University of Toronto. "David is very bright. He is very smart. We're very happy. He's very happy. All he cares about is finishing it. He really doesn't care about losing his leg; he cares about finishing his course," said Mike. "He's more about history and that's what he really likes." David likes to spend his time on a Friday night reading books. In particular, he enjoys fact-based books such as ones about Aristotle, Plato, Stalin or Hitler. "That's what he likes to do. For me, even though he's my son, it would be an awful shame for him to disappear if only because he's one of the most interesting, well-read people I know and he's only 19," said Mike. The family does have a second option as well. If no matches are found at the July 28 clinic, the family and doctors are also looking at the possibility of using umbilical cord blood. "The Toronto Sick Kids Hospital and McMaster (University Hospital) are now looking at almost a secondary strategy, if they don't find a real donor, they will be looking at cord blood from babies to try to keep him alive," said Mike. According to the Cells for Life website, cord blood, which is rich in stem cells, has been used to treat more than 70 different diseases including leukemia and lymphomas. The first cord blood stem cell transplant was done in 1988. "The cord blood collected from the vessels is in the cord at the time of birth. After the baby is born and the baby and mother are separated, the blood that is left in the vessels in the cord, which is the baby's blood, is collected," said Caroline Harris, a registered nurse for Cells for Life, which bases its headquarters in Markham. "It's transported to our lab and there we extract the stem cells from that blood. Those stem cells, which are the baby's, because it's their blood in the cord, they are put into storage," said Harris. Cord blood stem cells are also used in clinical trials and are being investigated for treatment of diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson's disease and cerebral palsy. The blood is most often used in transplants to replace defective bone marrow that has been damaged by disease, environmental factors or cancer treatment (chemotherapy or radiation). There are advantages to a cord blood stem cell transplant versus a bone marrow transplant. "The cells are harvested at such an early stage in their development, they are what are called naïve. They have the same capabilities of cells from the bone marrow, but there are certain advantages to using cord blood stem cells," said Harris. "They don't have a very strong identity, (so) you do not necessarily have to have a perfect tissue match between the donor and the recipient." The July 28, In Honour Blood Donor/OneMatch Swab clinic for David, will be at the Holy Trinity Parish, Banquet Hall, 2110 Trafalgar Rd. in Oakville. The clinic hours are 1-7 p.m. Anyone wishing to donate blood at the In Honour Blood Donor/OneMatch Swab clinic for David, should call Canadian Blood Services at 1-888-2-Donate to book an appointment. We Install All Kinds of Floors, Stairs and Railings Serving Oakville residents for over 20 years WOOD N' FLOOR "Refinish Your Wood Floor Like New" W TWO PLAYERS TWO PLAYERS CART INCLUDED TAX INC. Call KAZ 905-338-1881 www.woodnfloor.ca CART INCLUDED $ $ 130 Book your game NOW! Check out our earlybird & twilight specials from $1850 110 TAX INC. Book a game NOW! 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