Elgin, Surrey

The itinerary crosses the international boundary at Peace Arch and continues to Elgin in South Surrey. September 22, 2026 was both the planned date for this stage and the date on the official World Marrow Donor Day website. As it turned out, Jeana was resting in Blaine with a cold on World Marrow Donor Day, and she walked across the Peace Arch border into Surrey on September 23.

Elgin has its own history of crossing and connection. The City of Surrey’s account describes a way station on the Semiahmoo Trail and an 1865 telegraph line crossing the Nicomekl River. River transport and the building of dykes helped shape the farms along its banks. The Stewart farmhouse, built in 1894 on land John Stewart bought in 1880, preserves part of that late-nineteenth-century landscape.

The campaign’s family story also crosses a border. Jada Bascom’s donor, Torsten Huber, was registered in Germany before her birth. His marrow was used for her transplant in Washington. A decision he made before her birth became part of her family’s story across the Atlantic.

Readers can find registration information through the organization serving their home country or province. NMDP provides the United States process; Canadian Blood Services directs Canadian applicants outside Québec, and Québec residents are directed to Héma-Québec. Each organization sets its own eligibility and consent requirements.