Ottawa mans stem-cell transplant set-back

Ottawa-native, Chris Taylor, is riding an emotional roller coaster.

Taylor was first diagnosed with Leukemia 2 years ago. Chemotherapy worked but the cancer soon returned. Without a stem-cell transplant, doctors fear his cancer will keep coming back.

Taylor is a business partner at the Crazy Horse Grill in Kanata, and he manages Grace O'Malley's pub in Toronto. In October, his friends and colleagues held swabbing parties, hoping to find him a stem-cell match.

In Canada, the OneMatch registry is looking for male donors aged 17 to 35. For those who do match someone in need, the procedure isn't painful; in most cases it's similar to donating blood.

In November, Taylor was told his match had been found. Days before the transplant, the donor suffered a medical complication that made him unable to donate.

Taylor was put back on the list, and a second donor was found. A new transplant date was set for early April. Suddenly, that donor has backed-out. The circumstances surrounding that decision remain confidential.

"There are a lot of reasons why somebody could (back-out), so I can't judge, says Taylor, Who am I to judge anyway. I have to stay positive for my own fight.

Right now Taylor's cancer is in remission, he only hopes to find another match before it returns.

If the cancer comes back we are in trouble, explains Taylor. We can't do the transplant that's the problem. The patient has to be in remission, that's why the clock is ticking.

CTVs Natalie Pierosara will have more on this story tonight at six.

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Ottawa mans stem-cell transplant set-back