Out of 11 drives to date, 435 potential donors have signed up so far.

Stem cells are versatile and non-specific, with a unique ability to mature into a variety of different tissues. They're "cell factories,” as Fingrut puts it. When the factory is faulty, a stem cell transplant can rebuild it from the ground up.

But each factory is different and very specific. The donor's stem cells need to match the recipient's. There are 400,000 registered donors in Canada and 36.8-million internationally, yet no match for Savannah has been found. The greater the amount of donors, the greater the odds of finding a match and potentially saving a life.

A DNA swab kit is displayed at a stem cell drive held at the University of Waterloo on Tuesday, February 11, 2020. | Jordan Snobelen photo

The region's first drive this past Tuesday saw 25 mostly female students from the University of Waterloo swabbing to collect DNA samples for potential matches.

Jessica Tian, a second-year psychology student and member of the University of Waterloo chapter, signed up to become a potential donor in high school.

Tian hasn’t been called on yet, but will be eligible until she turns 35. The thought of being found as a match doesn’t faze her.

Collection of stem cells has come a long way since the first successful bone marrow transplant in 1956. In the vast majority of donations — over 90 per cent — stem cells are collected in a way resembling blood donation. Unlike donating blood though, stem cells are separated by a machine and your blood is cycled back into your body.

In few cases, donors will be asked to provide stem cells collected from bone marrow in the hip. The procedure itself is painless, thanks to anesthetic, and post-procedure pain (comparable to having fallen on ice) lasts for around two weeks before disappearing, says Fingrut.

Ethnically diverse men are the most-needed donors; however, anyone between 17 and 35 is encouraged to swab. Swabs are processed by Canadian Blood Services, and donor information is kept confidential. Donors can also withdraw at any time in the process, no strings attached.

“We talk about numbers, we sign up 5,000 per year, but all it takes is one person signing up that is a match to save someone’s life … it’s really powerful, and I think there’s just so few other situations that are like this,” Fingrut said.

As for what all of this means for Savannah's family, Hill says his hat is off to whoever takes a risk to save a life.

"I wish I could possibly dig up enough words to say and express my gratitude, but I’m a believer that that type of action cannot actually be repaid in words, I can’t thank people enough,” Hill said.

You can help

The Stem Cell Club returns to UW on Feb. 26 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Environment 3 building.

It will also be at Wilfrid Laurier University on Feb. 26 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the athletic complex.