A seven-year-old boy with cancer has died after an intensive search for a bone marrow donor failed to yield a suitable match.
In early 2016, Joshua Weekes of Richmond, B.C., was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, which is an aggressive form of blood cancer.
Joshua鈥檚 grandmother, Tania Fernandes-Silva, announced on Facebook that her grandson died last week, in the 鈥渓oving arms鈥� of his mother, Lia.
鈥淲e were so hopeful up until his last few days that Josh would come through this regardless of what we were told,鈥� Fernandes-Silva wrote. 鈥淗e defeated so many odds but at the end it was just too much and he was so tired from fighting this battle so long.鈥�
After his diagnosis, the young boy underwent multiple blood transfusions and several rounds of aggressive chemotherapy, but remained in need of a bone marrow transplant.
Despite donor drives across British Columbia, as well as a campaign that raised nearly $40,000, a match for Joshua was never found.
Finding a matching donor was particularly difficult due to boy鈥檚 racially diverse background, which is English, Caribbean, Filipino and Icelandic.
His mother donated bone marrow for a transplant in June 2016, because it was deemed the next viable option.
鈥淚n seven short years Joshua has left an imprint on everyone who knew him that will last an eternity,鈥� his grandmother wrote on Facebook. 鈥淗e has returned to his angel form and we will miss him terribly everyday that he is gone.鈥�
A memorial service will be held in Burnaby on Thursday. The family has asked that anyone who wants to honour Joshua donate blood to Canadian Blood Services and register to be a bone marrow donor through the
Canadian Blood Services says that approximately one quarter of patients with mixed backgrounds are able to find a genetic match within their family, but most rely on strangers to donate.
With files from CTV Vancouver
