Students give cheek swabs that could save a life

How do you thank someone you don’t know?

Erica Honoway, whose fouryear-old son, Lincoln, was saved by a stranger, hopes she can find out someday.

But, for now, there is nothing she knows for certain about the donor who helped ensure a successful stem cell transplant for the Regina boy.

“We talk about and think about this donor daily,” she said. “I don’t know how we will act when we get to meet her, because I don’t know how you thank someone who saves your child’s life. Saying thank you is not enough.”

It was February 2016 when Lincoln was diagnosed with aplastic anemia — essentially bone marrow failure.

“It was terrifying,” said Honoway. “We didn’t know what we were dealing with. We didn’t know what the chances were they’d find a match for him. Even if they did, we didn’t know if he’d make it through the transplant, so it was the scariest experience of our lives.”

Someone’s cheek swab started the process of finding a donor and, by September 2016, Lincoln was having his transplant.

On Monday, Honoway returned to her former university where a stem cell drive called Get Swabbed was held. Sylvia Okonofua, president of the University of Regina Stem Cell Club, said approximately 60 people had attended by close to 1 p.m. to have their cheeks swabbed.

The pre-med student was told about the initiative by the cofounder of the club’s national body.

“I was like, if I can actually run a drive and get someone who can help save someone else’s life, that would be amazing,” she said.

Would-be donors have to be between the ages of 17 and 35 — since transplants are more successful with younger donors — and Okonofua said they were in particular hoping for people with different ethic backgrounds.

There will be another drive on Sept. 14 at the Riddell Centre.

Doug O’Brien, the university’s student engagement programs coordinator, helped with getting the event coordinated for move-in weekend. He said it allows new students to feel welcome and to learn about the U of R’s culture of service.

“Getting students involved and realizing the impact of their involvement through something like this was one of the main goals,” he said. “Obviously, another goal of having today’s Get Swabbed initiative was to support the stem cell database for Canada through the OneMatch program.”

O’Brien learned personally about how crucial the registry — managed by Canadian Blood Services — is when his mother was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer in 2014. While a stem cell transplant was not possible in her case (she instead underwent chemotherapy and radiation), O’Brien learned “the power and the impact that stem cell transplants can have.”

In Lincoln’s case, his mom said he is now happy, healthy and energetic, even avoiding the summer cold his three siblings came down with. Honoway wants people to consider getting swabbed so they can be added to the registry that allowed Lincoln to remain with them.

“There are hundreds of people in Canada waiting for a match, and it only takes one,” she said.

I was like, if I can actually run a drive and get someone who can help save someone else’s life, that would be amazing.