A swab clinic for a 7-year-old girl needing a stem-cell transplant drew a great turnout Monday afternoon in Chatham.
Over 20 students and residents took part in the clinic that was held at St. Clair College for Zoe Dudzianiec, who lives in Tecumseh.
She has a rare disease called Diamond-Blackfan Anemia, which is a very rare bone marrow disorder with no cure.
Dudzianiec has been getting treatment since birth and receives about 10 hours of medical treatment every day.
She also gets blood transfusions every 10 days at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto because the blood she requires is not available to her in Windsor anymore.
"We had a great event and there was a lot of interest," said Maelba Bedard, who is a board director for the Katelyn Bedard Bone Marrow Association. "We collected just over 20 swabs but that's okay. It only takes one to be a match for Zoe which we're trying hard to find."
According to Bedard, the process can take up to six weeks to determine a match. However, the association won't find out if one was found.
Bedard said all of the information is confidential and that the only way they find out a match was made, is if they are personally notified by the individual.
"These go into the worldwide registry," said Bedard. "So it's possible one of these registrants can be a donor for someone in Germany or the Middle East. Anywhere in the world, even the United States."
The next upcoming swab clinic at St. Clair College in Chatham is expected sometime in the fall.
