Sussex, New Brunswick – Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc. (PotashCorp) today announced a $50,000 donation toward the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment for a new lab to be housed at Saint John Regional Hospital. Stewart Brown, General Manager of PotashCorp’s New Brunswick operations, congratulated Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation and campaign volunteers on the success of the $680,000 fundraising campaign and explained why PotashCorp got involved.

“At PotashCorp, we care about the quality of life and priorities of our home communities,” said Brown. “The lab, and the new equipment that will support its programs, is all about giving hope and improving quality of life for cancer patients across our region. For that reason, we were eager to get involved.”

According to officials, the hospital’s new Blood Stem Cell Transplantation lab will make available a procedure that collects a patient’s stem cells from their blood before extreme doses of chemotherapy are administered, allowing these life-giving cells to be frozen, stored and thawed and placed back into the blood stream after the patient has received chemo treatment. Dr. Terrance Comeau, a hematologist oncologist and New Brunswicker, has returned home to lead this groundbreaking program.

“If we can collect the patient’s blood stem cells before we administer the extreme doses of chemo, we can protect and reintroduce them back in the patient’s body – literally bringing these patients back from the brink,” said Dr. Comeau, Director of the hospital’s new Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) Program.

In addition to medical treatment, the lab will deliver other benefits to the people of New Brunswick.
 
“Currently, New Brunswickers who require this type of procedure have to leave home and travel to Halifax,” said Tim Cameron, President & CEO, Saint John Hospital Foundation. “Thanks to donors and partners like PotashCorp, this procedure will now be available here, reducing the emotional and financial burden on these patients and their families during an already challenging time in their lives.”

The program’s multi-step procedure and equipment can be viewed at www.TheGive.ca.

Headquartered in Saskatchewan, Canada, PotashCorp is the world’s largest fertilizer company by capacity, producing the three primary crop nutrients – potash, phosphate and nitrogen. With five potash operations in Saskatchewan, and one in New Brunswick, it is responsible for about 20 percent of global capacity and is the world’s leading potash producer. Its operations and business interests span seven countries, making PotashCorp an international enterprise and a key player in meeting the growing challenge of feeding the world.

For more information contact:
Stewart Brown
General Manager, PCS News Brunswick
Phone: (506) 432-8400
E-mail Corporate Philanthropy