Tania Grim

When Tania Grim was 34 years old, she learned that she had myelodysplastic syndrome, a cancer that impedes the production of blood cells. Chemotherapy and countless units of blood and platelets kept Tania alive, but the only effective long-term treatment was a transplant of stem cells. Fortunately, a suitable match was found in Germany and in 2017, transplant surgery succeeded. 

Once she was healthy enough, Tania, a mother of four, began to volunteer at donor centres. She also joined the Partners for Life program under the name Blood Donors Rock. She regularly shares her story widely on social media and in newspapers and magazines, and organizes stem cell registry and blood donation groups. Tania continues to rely on immunoglobulin, a medication derived from donated plasma.

“I'm so incredibly grateful,” she says. “People who don't even know me just take time out of their day to go and give — it is such a selfless act.”