It’s no wonder five-year-old Tanner McLeod is infatuated with superheroes,considering he’s looking for a hero of his own.
Tanner was diagnosed with a rare blood disease called sideroblastic anemia at six months old and his family has been searching for a stem cell donor ever since.
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He can’t play like other kids his age as he struggles with fatigue, decreased appetite and a weak immune system. Many of his days are spent attached to a machine pumping fresh blood into his little body.
In order to beat the disease, he has to find his “genetic twin” and receive a stem cell transplant. However, the chances of doing so are nearly impossible.
His mom, dad and brother weren’t a match — despite a 25% likelihood of matching with a sibling — and no suitable donor has been found in the Canadian stem cell registry of about 450,000 people, or the global registry of roughly 29 million.
The young boy is from the Pimicikamak Cree Nation, also known as Cross Lake in Manitoba, and he is significantly more likely to find a match within his own Indigenous community.