Aboriginal Patients to Directly Benefit from Edmonton Workshop

Media Release
For Immediate release

Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada and OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network provide crucial workshop to developing stem cell awareness in communities

Ottawa ON October 5, 2009 — OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network and the Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada (A.N.A.C.), will be holding a first-of-its-kind workshop in Canada to determine best practices and processes for increasing the need for more stem cell donors within this country’s many Aboriginal communities.A select group of Aboriginal nurses will be at the centre of a working group tasked with developing practical guidelines towards the messaging and practices around the need for increased First Nation, Métis and Inuit stem cell donor participation within Canada. These understandings and practices will be the foundation for A.N.A.C. nurses to carry forth into the many Aboriginal communities in Canada – including the provision of DNA sample collection (buccal swabs).

“Given the importance of this cause, we hope more nurses will join us for this important pre-conference workshop held on Enoch First Nation (near Edmonton) on October 14th; the impact from this training will ultimately improve Aboriginal health delivery in both urban and traditional territories by increasing the number of stem cell donors,” explains Rosella Kinoshameg, President, Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada.

Sadly, there are only 2,200 Aboriginal potential stem cell donors on the Network and for the Aboriginal people waiting on the list, their only match is only likely to come by increasing the number of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people in the potential matching pool. A.N.A.C. acknowledges this as a serious problem as international donors very rarely can be a match for Canada’s indigenous populations. Given that, we have committed to partner with OneMatch to enhance the number of potential donors, especially as First Nation, Inuit and Métis peoples can most optimally be matched by other Aboriginal/Canadian donors. But we need the help of more trained nurses to help accomplish this goal.”

There are a limited amount of spots available for Aboriginal nurses to apply before the October 9th deadline.

–30–

If you are an Aboriginal nurse and are interested in being part of this workshop please contact Beth Amer at 1-866-537-7700 ext. 6380 or email Beth.Amer@blood.ca or contact Connie Toulouse, Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada (613) 724-4677 x 26 or email ctoulouse@anac.on.ca