With Canadian Blood Services facing a serious blood shortage over the holidays, a Newmarket teenager who battled leukemia as a child is asking residents to roll up their sleeves and give the gift of life.
Now 16 and a student at Sir William Mulock Secondary School with plans to pursue a career in the technology field, Cameron Lahti was just three-years-old when he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of the blood cancer.
“I was ill for six and a half years. Most of the treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation were futile since I relapsed twice,” he said.
“It was painful, to put it mildly. I was sick. I had multiple infections in my body, as well as some of the treatments and its unfortunate side effects. I missed out multiple years of school and special events with friends and family.”
During his illness, Cameron received many blood transfusions, which kept him alive.
The treatment that finally led to his long-term remission has left him with a compromised immune system, his mom, Debbie, said.
“Cameron gets regular infusions of blood product to maintain as healthy of immune system as possible, which is critical in the current environment,” she said.
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