The call went out to the Filipino community in Mississauga and the GTA when one of their own — Sergio “Bu” Galido — needed a bone marrow transplant. It responded.
Boy did people respond — from as far away as North Carolina.
That’s where Karla Aguila, 28, lives. She came to Mississauga when she was just six years old and lived and was educated here until she moved down to the States three years ago because the opportunities were better for her in nursing.
In an e-mail after reading about Sergio’s leukemia, which is temporarily in remission, Karla offered her help. “As a registered nurse who takes care of children suffering from cancers like that of Mr. Galido, I understand his plight,” she said.
As a pediatric oncology nurse, Aguila sees children who are lucky enough to find a marrow match.
She keeps an eye on events in her old hometown through the Internet and that’s how she found Sergio’s story which prompted her offer to join the registry herself.
One of the problems for Galido is that there are very few Filipino-Canadians on the Bone Marrow Registry of Canadian Blood Services (CBS), so the chances of finding a match for him if he does need a life-saving transplant in the future, are severely reduced.
That’s why the family, with the assistance of Ward 6 and 11 Dufferin-Peel Separate School Trustee Luz del Rosario and CBS, set up the March 9-10 blood donor clinic at Erin Mills Town Centre. About 70 people were expected but a total of 142 units of blood, enough to save the lives of 426 people, were collected. Members of the Filipino community came from far and wide, including one family from Owen Sound. They have relatives living in Mississauga who have a son with leukemia.
Sergio’s wife Lea said her family, who all turned out in matching T-shirts they had made for the occasion, was very happy with the response.
Unfortunately, lots of those who came out were under the mistaken impression they could sign up on the spot for the bone marrow registry. In fact, says Sarah Hayden of CBS, people from 17- 50 years of age must read some educational material and complete a health assessment and a consent form. They can either do that online or call 1-888-2-DONATE to request an information package. Their information will be reviewed and they will then have give a small blood sample. If their health profile and blood sample are suitable, they will be added to the registry.
Lea Galido says many potential bone marrow donors who came out to help her husband may not actually sign up. “By the time they get home, they ’re tired and they forget about it,” she said this morning. Some families have a language barrier dealing with online applications and many others just don’t have computers.
Because of privacy concerns, Galido could not speak directly to donors or gather their contact information.
Del Rosario says that while the clinic was excellent, a lot of people went away disappointed because they wanted to act immediately to find a match for Sergio.
That’s why she has set up another session Sat. March 31 at the Kalayaan Cultural Community Centre, 5225 Orbitor Dr. Unit 3, beginning at 11 a.m. to recruit more Filipino donors.
“We’re going to do an educational session and we are going to have a few laptops there so that, if people want to, they can gain access immediately and sign up,” says del Rosario, a former Citizen of the Year and long-time volunteer with Carassauga. Someone from Blood Services will be on hand to answer any questions.
The word is going out on the grapevine and del Rosario hopes to get another outstanding turnout.
No one is happier about that than Sergio, not because he necesaarily expects to find a match, but because the entire process builds up the registry that may well be critical for other Filipino-Canadians in future.
“It was pretty positive and not just for him,” says his wife of the Sergio Bu Memorial Blood Donot Clinic. “A lot of first-time donors came out. We hope they will continue to give. Sergio — he’s OK,” she says. “He’s a fighter.”
Looks like he has a growing army of allies in his battle, which is always a good thing.