It's been one of the most painful summers a family can endure, but the Curwin’s are finding a way to honour the memory of their very special little girl.
Marlie Curwin was diagnosed with leukemia earlier this year, spurring Maritime communities to hold bone marrow registry events in hopes of finding a match.
Marlie passed away in June, but her impact is undeniable. More than 1,400 hundred people have added their names to a national stem cell and marrow registry.
“When she was living, she touched so many hearts,” said Marlie’s mother, Erin Curwin. “She had touched so many lives in the short time, and had done so much in her 16 months of life that I couldn't even dream about doing.”
Team Marlie held another event in Moncton on Tuesday to encourage people aged 17 to 35 to join the registry.
“It's drawn attention to the fact that we need names on the registry for bone marrow,” said Marlie’s grandfather, Gary Curwin
“It's not going to help Marlie, but it's going to help other kids.”
For people who do register, it's not a guarantee they'll ever get a call to actually donate bone marrow. If they do, it's likely to assist someone with cancer or a blood disorder.
“They come to the registry sort of at the end of their treatment. It really is their last lifeline to come to the registry and seek a match,” said Dianne Shaw-MacAdam of the OneMatch Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Registry.
Team Marlie will now head to the nation's capital, where they'll participate in a rally for more funding for children's cancer.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Cami Kepke.
