Stem Cell funding

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Ontario’s Health Minister was in Hamilton today, announcing $26 million for hospitals in the city. Most of that money has been expected since the provincial budget was announced but the CEO of Hamilton Health Sciences says it was significant to get confirmation of 1$0 million for stem cell transplants in cancer patients.

In April we spoke to the parents of Laura Hillier, the 18 year old from Burlington had a match for a stem cell transplant to treat her leukaemia last year, but she died in January while waiting for a bed. The money announced today will help the Juravinski Cancer Centre treat more people. Hillier’s story made it to Health Minister Eric Hoskins, who promised to keep trying to reduce wait times.

Dr. Ralph Meyer heads the stem cell program, and says patients come from all over the province for the procedure, which replaces defective or damaged cancer cells. He says Laura Hillier and her family are partly to thank for the funding; they helped raise awareness and that led to improvements in care.

“Two years ago we did 45 transplants in the year. Last year we did 60, this year we’re looking at 75 because of the funding we are receiving.”