Paige Timmers and her family live life to the fullest every day. Paige is a shy 6-year old whose days are filled with kindergarten classes and her favorite activities—going to the park, swimming and tap dancing. She dreams of growing up to be a firefighter, police officer, doctor or astronaut.

Paige is free to dream after surviving Juvenile Myelomoncytic Leukemia (JMML), a rare and destructive form of childhood cancer. Paige diagnosed at only 18 months old and was immediately placed on an aggressive course of chemotherapy. The only life-saving option available was a bone marrow transplant. Dr. Karen Stollendorf and Nurse Sandy Frisk of BC Children’s Hospital began the search for a bone marrow donor.

Paige’s mom, Lynn Timmers, describes the four months of the donor search as the most trying and stressful during Paige’s illness.
“It was difficult to find a bone marrow donor because the donor’s bone marrow had to match Paige’s. After four months of stress, it was incredible to hear that they had found a match,” she says.

The search took on epic proportions as Karen and Sandy searched for the right donor. Miraculously, a donor was found in Germany. The doctors raced against time to get the bone marrow from Germany to Vancouver within the 24-36 hours needed for it to be effective.

Paige’s transplant was a success! Two years after the transplant, Lynn and Paige learned the name of the miracle marrow donor, Manuela, and they now correspond regularly. With Paige’s cancer in remission, the Timmers family—Lynn, Paige, her father Art and brother Vance—will some day meet Manuela in person to celebrate the gift of life she so selflessly gave to Paige.

The likelihood of Paige's cancer returning is high, proving that treatment for childhood cancer is not enough. Be part of finding a cure—click here to find out how you can help.