SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - By filling out a few simple forms and taking a swab of their inner cheek, a person could someday save a life.

Daniel Frise, 21, demonstrates where to collect cheek cells for the second Annual National EMS Stem Cell challenge that will be taking place in Yellowknife until May 28. - Heather Lange/NNSL photo

The Yellowknife Fire Department is joining once again with Canadian Blood Services and Shari's Mission to register as many potential donors as possible to the Canadian Blood Services' OneMatch stem cell registry. The second annual National EMS Stem Cell Challenge is taking place in Yellowknife this week.

Last May, 896 Yellowknifers completed swab kits, earning the Yellowknife Fire Department recognition from Shari's Mission for the most swab kits collected by an organization.

Stem cell transplants are used to treat some forms of cancer like leukemia, lymphoma, ovarian and testicular cancer; types of anemia like sickle cell disease; immune system disorders and other diseases. Less than 30 per cent of patients are able to find compatible donors within their own families.

Right now, there is a strong push from Canadian Blood Services for people with ethnically diverse backgrounds to register.

"We have a need for ethnic donors. About 80 per cent of our registry is white males and 20 per cent of our registry is ethnically diverse," said Candace Korchinsky, communications specialist with Canadian Blood Services.

"Finding matching DNA is like finding a needle in a haystack. The more people we have on the registry to better chance the patient has of finding a match."

Shari's Mission was started by the family of Shari Ichelson-Silverman, who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2009 at age 11, to find a compatible bone marrow donor. A match was found for her last March, but the organization has continued the mission of adding to the donor registry so others can be as lucky as Shari was.

Gerda Groothuizen, the deputy fire chief of life safety and prevention with the Yellowknife Fire Department declined to comment, but stated in an e-mail the department was approached last year by Shari's family to consider participating in the National EMS Stem Cell Challenge, which it did, partnering with Medic North. Last year the challenge swabbed five per cent of Yellowknife's population.

This year the department hopes to build on that success.

All a person needs to do is fill out a health screening form, consent form and swab the inside of their cheek for a cell sample. A health care card or photo ID is required.

Kits can be completed today at the Centre Square Mall from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and on May 25 at City Hall from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

A swab kit can also be ordered online through the Canadian Blood Services website.

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