Both of Sanjay’s twin daughters, Misha and Zoey, have a rare genetic condition that affects their ability to fight infections. The only cure is a stem cell transplant, but because the twins are South Asian (an ethnic group that is underrepresented in Canada's stem cell registry), finding a match has been challenging. After years of searching for an unrelated donor match, Sanjay made the decision to become a donor for his daughters, even though he was only a partial match.
It’s critical for us to further grow and diversify the stem cell registry to ensure that people - like Misha and Zoey - from all communities in Canada can find their lifesaving match. The more people who register to donate stem cells, the better chance someone with a life-threatening blood disorder or blood cancer will find a match to receive a transplant.
