The Perfect Match, directed by Sandro Silva, was screened at Triffo Theatre on Oct. 1.
The screening was accompanied by a booth from Canadian Blood Services that gave visitors the opportunity to join the stem cell registry, and was followed by a Q&A with the producers, directors, and advocates shown in the film. The screening event concluded with an opportunity to mingle with audience members and those involved in the film.
The Perfect Match follows three different stories of people affected by sickle cell disease. The main story follows a Ghanaian father, Jacob Marfo, and his advocacy for stem cell donation while his son, Ezra Marfo, awaited a stem cell transplant through his battle with RAM phenotype Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a rare form of cancer. Ezra received treatment for 475 days before passing away at only two years old.
The film’s director, Sandro Silva, was first introduced to the story when Jacob reached out to him to find a stem cell match for Ezra. Unfortunately, Silva was too old to join the stem cell registry, as the required age range for donation is between 17 and 35. The chances of finding a perfect stem cell match increase when the donor shares a similar heritage, which is why Jacob reached out to Silva. Currently, only two per cent of stem cell donors on the stem cell registry in Canada are from Black, African, or Caribbean communities.
Later that year, Silva received a letter in the mail that said Ezra had passed away. This had left Silva heartbroken, and he knew he had to do something.
Silva then began the documentary project alongside Sheena Rossiter, assistant professor at MacEwan University and co-founder of Dona Ana Films & Multimedia, and reached out to the father, Jacob.
The Perfect Match also showcases the stories of Ufuoma Muwhen and Revéee Agyepong, two women in remission who both now work as advocates for improved support for people battling sickle cell disease.
Sickle cell disease affects the shape of red blood cells, which are responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body. The affected ‘sickle’-shaped red blood cells can slow or block blood flow. An established curative treatment for severe sickle cell disease is a stem cell transplant.
Muwhen underwent 16 years of treatment for sickle cell disease before she was able to undergo a successful bone marrow transplant at 18 after finding a stem cell match in her sister. Inspired by her experience, Muwhen founded NotJustYou, a non-profit sickle cell support organization, which she continues to run today.
Agyepong was one of the first adults in Canada to be cured of sickle cell disease through a bone marrow stem cell transplant. Today, she works as a pediatric sickle cell disease nurse and strongly advocates for sickle cell disease support with Black Donors Save Lives.
Rossiter, Jacob, Silva and the other advocates present at the screening stressed the importance of joining the stem cell registry, even if you are not of African descent. They explain that donating to the cause, or even just advocating for stem cell research, can save lives.
“I always say as filmmakers, we’re not surgeons, we don’t actually save lives. But what we do have the power to do is we do have the power to change people’s hearts and minds,” says Rossiter.
