 How
do I join the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)
Registry?
If you are between the ages of 18 and 60 and in reasonably good health,
you can be in the Registry. You complete a brief medical history and
consent form and a lab technician will stick your finger and obtain a
few drops of blood. Your blood is tissue typed and the data is placed
in the Registry and will remain there until your 61st birthday or you
request that it be removed.
What happens next?
Only if you are a match with someone seeking a donor, will you be contacted.
If you are a match, you will be asked to have further blood tests done
(at no cost to the donor). If the match is verified, you will attend
an information session with a medical professional and have a physical
exam to ensure you are in good health and able to donate. The marrow
or PBSC collection will be scheduled at that time (the recipient’s
doctor decides which type of donation is needed for the patient).
What is PBSC and how is it collected?
PBSC is the process of collecting adult blood stem cells. The donor is
given 4 or 5 daily injections of Filgrastim, a stem cell growth factor
that increases the number of stem cells released from your marrow into
your blood stream. The cells are collected by removing your blood through
a needle in your arm, passing the blood through a machine that removes
the stem cells and giving the remaining blood back through a needle
in the other arm. Some donors feel some bone pain prior to donation
due to the effects of the Filgrastim. These effects usually subside
in 1-2 days after the last dose of Filgristim.
How is Marrow collected?
You undergo a surgical procedure, under general anesthesia, to remove
the marrow from your pelvic bones. This is usually an outpatient procedure
and you may feel some stiffness and soreness in your lower back. Your
marrow is replaced by your body in 4-6 weeks.
Who pays for the donation procedures?
The donor does not pay anything.
What type of health problems
would prevent me from being a donor?
You can be deferred if you have medical conditions that could put you
at risk if you receive general or regional anesthesia such as diabetes,
heart disease, emphysema, liver disease, cancer or serious back problems.
You will also be deferred if you have a medical condition that could
put the recipient at risk such as AIDS, autoimmune disease, lupus or
multiple sclerosis, etc.
Make A Donation
Where can I find more information?
1-800-MARROW-2
www.marrow.org
www.themarrowfoundation.org |
