Question 1

How do I register as a bone marrow donor?

Accepted Answer

The registration process is simple. You can either register at a donor drive or order a cheek swab kit that will be sent to your home. Once you get your swab kit, fill out the paperwork, swab your cheek, and send the kit back to a lab. You will then be a part of the worldwide donor registry to check for any matches. This entire process is free of charge and is quick and easy. For more information about becoming a registered bone marrow donor, click here.

Question 2

What are the requirements for registering as a bone marrow donor?

Accepted Answer

To register as a bone marrow donor:
 
-you must be between the ages 18 through 60. Once you turn 61, you are automatically removed from the bone marrow registry. However, you can remove yourself from the registry at any time.
 
-you must be in good health. Any questions regarding your current or past health eligibility can be answered at the time of registration. 
 
-be willing to donate marrow if you are a match. While you are always able to opt out of donation, we encourage people who are commited to donation to register, as you may be the only life-saving match. 
 
-you cannot be already registered with another organization. This is because all of the registries are linked.

Question 3

What is Bone Marrow?

Accepted Answer

Bone marrow is the spongy tissue inside our bones. Our bone marrow produces stem cells.

These stem cells develop into hundreds of different types of cells that function throughout your body. These are your red blood cells, white blood cells, muscle cells, etc.

Question 4

Who needs a Bone Marrow Transplant?

Accepted Answer

Many cancer patients that undergo chemotherapy need bone marrow transplants due to the fact that chemo kills off your healthy cells along with cancer cells. Patients with blood disorders, immunity disorders, or bone marrow failure diseases are also in need of bone marrow transplants.

Question 5

What is a Bone Marrow Transplant? (BMT)

Accepted Answer

A bone marrow transplant is a life-saving procedure that treats patients with diseases in their blood, immune systems, or genes. The procedure transports healthy stem cells into a patient with dysfunctioning or unhealthy stem cells.

Question 6

What are the different types of BMTs?

Accepted Answer

Bone marrow transplants can occur in three different ways. None of these procedures require an overnight hospital visit; you will be able to go home that day. In all of these cases, your doctor will give you a few shots that will boost your stem cell production, so your bone marrow will replenish itself quickly.
 
The first and most common form of donation is through a Peripheral blood stem cell

transplant. This donation type is used around 75% of the time. In this procedure, the donor's blood will be taken from one arm and filtered through a machine. This machine will filter the donor's stem cells out of their blood and put their filtered blood back into the other arm. (see image)
The second type of donation is through a bone marrow extraction from your hip. This type of donation occurs only about 25% of the time. This procedure is done under anesthesia. A sample of the donor's bone marrow is extracted from their pelvic bone (this is because your pelvis produces a large amount of stem cells). The bone marrow is NOT drawn from your spine.

The final form of donation is Cord Blood donation. When you are born, your mother can request to donate the cord blood from your umbilical cord. Your umbilical cord is rich with nutrients and healthy stem cells. A patient receiving a cord blood donation is most commonly a child since this form of donation is small and limited in quantity.

Question 7

Why does your ethnicity matter for matching patients?

Accepted Answer

Bone marrow transplants have better outcomes when the donor has similar DNA to the patient. People with similar ethnic backgrounds tend to also have similar DNA patterns, thus creating more compatible matches. This explains why it is much harder for ethnic minorities and multi-racial patients to find compatible matches, simply because there are fewer uniquely similar donor registrants (see graph).

Question 8

Are family members good matches?

Accepted Answer

It depends. Out of all relatives, siblings are the closest likely matches with a 25% chance of being a compatible match. Parents and other relatives are unlikely matches. When a patient's sibling is not a compatible match, then the patient must rely on a stranger from the bone marrow registry with matching DNA.

Question 9

Do I have to have the same blood type to be a match?

Accepted Answer

No, you don't need to have the same blood type to be a compatible match. Compatible matches are found through HLA testing.

Question 10

What is HLA testing?

Accepted Answer

The HLA tests, which are done from your swab sample, are a series of tests that will check the genetic markers on stem cells, specifically your white blood cells. To be a compatible match, HLA testing should be at least a 9/10 or 10/10.

Question 11

I registered already with another bone marrow donor registry. Do I need to register again?

Accepted Answer

No, these organizations use the same international registry. If you have already registered with one organization, you do not have to register again.

Question 12

Does it hurt to get a Bone Marrow Transplant?

Accepted Answer

If you are donating through peripheral blood, the experience is similar to donating blood. If you are donating from a bone marrow extraction,  you may feel some discomfort, but this discomfort lasts up to a few days, sometimes only a day. Many donors say that the knowledge of saving a patient's life outweighs any temporary discomfort.

Question 13

Does it cost any money to donate?

Accepted Answer

No, there is no financial cost to donors.

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