Organizers of a screening in Edmonton hope a documentary about the need for stem-cell donors will prompt more people to register, particularly in Black communities. The Perfect Match was shown Thursday at MacEwan University’s Triffo Theatre in an event presented by Canadian Blood Services and the Ezra Marfo Cancer Foundation.

Director Sandro Silva said an Edmonton father’s search for a donor for his son inspired him to make the film. Four years ago, Silva was contacted about donating to help Ezra Marfo, who was then two years old and had been living with acute myeloid leukemia for more than a year. Silva could not donate because he was older than 35.

A few weeks later, Silva received a letter saying Ezra had died, along with a phone number for the boy’s father, Jacob. “I contacted the father, and then moving forward, I suggested (to) put the word out there,” Silva told reporters. The effort led to the documentary, which premiered earlier this year at Edmonton’s Metro Cinema during the Northwest Film Fest.

The hour-long film features families and people who survived stem-cell transplants. Their experiences point to the need for a more diverse donor pool, organizers said. Only two per cent of registered stem-cell donors come from African, Caribbean and Black communities. One organizer said they hope the film’s message “moves people to sign up,” adding that a larger registry is needed for Black Canadians.

Jasmine Vallarta, business development manager with Canadian Blood Services, said families may first seek a donor match among relatives, but that option is limited. “Sometimes it’s a hard match to find because you want to try to find a match within your family, but only 25 per cent are usually a match,” Vallarta said. “So it’s going out to the greater community, and it highlights that we need that diversity.”

Silva said The Perfect Match will be available to stream on Telus Optik early next year. CTV News Edmonton’s Brandon Lynch contributed files to the report.

Based on reporting by CTV News Edmonton.