TORONTO — Thousands of people have registered for the national bone marrow registry since Warren and Kelly Roll of Montreal put out the call that their four-year-old daughter Jayden was in need of a match.
They hope more will join the registry at their upcoming bone marrow drives in Toronto on April 21.
“You’re told your kid has cancer and it's been the most devastating feeling you can possibly imagine,” Warren Roll said. “Most of us are ambitious people. We like to take control of things, and when it comes to cancer, there's not much we can do.”
However, while the family waits to hear whether Jayden has a match in the international bone marrow registry, they and their friends have organized bone marrow drives in Canada and the United States.
Their Montreal drive at Concordia University was a huge success, registering an unprecedented total of about 2,700 people, Roll said.
They’re hoping the Jewish community in Toronto will be just as supportive, especially since patients are most likely to find a match within their own ethnic background – in this case, Ashkenazi Jewish.
“It’s easy to do, and it’s non-invasive,” Roll said. “Come out to the drive and donate. It can make a huge difference.
“Let’s do this for Jayden and everybody else out there who needs help.”
The Toronto drives will take place at Bialik Hebrew Day School and Aish Thornhill Community Shul on April 21 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, visit cureforjayden.ca.
