The international bone marrow registry is a collection of donor registries across the world dedicated to finding bone marrow and stem cell donors for individuals with blood cancer, severe immune disorders, sickle cell, and several other diseases.
What does being a donor entail?
Being a bone marrow donor is a life-saving process but not everyone knows what the process is like.
Below is a brief overview of how the donation process works.
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Learn and register for the National Registry. Once you’ve learned about the registry and what it means to be a donor, you simply request a kit (or find a local drive) to join.
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Confirm you’re a match. If you are ever called as a potential donor for someone, you’ll be asked to give a simple blood test to ensure you’re the best match for that patient.
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Make sure you’re able to donate. If you’re confirmed as the best match for a patient, you’ll be given a free workup to make sure there will be no additional health risks for you or the patient.
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Donate & save a life. Donation may seem scary, but it is a relatively safe and rewarding process that results in directly saving the life of the recipient.
A Donor’s Perspective
Tony Joe Connell, who donated bone marrow in 2019 and is an active advocate for the registry, was asked about his experience donating.
- “Being a donor feels like giving back. Doing my part to help those around me with the tools I have. A small donation from me can mean a lifetime for someone else”.
Who is eligible to be a donor?
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Must be between the ages of 18 and 60
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Must be in generally good health
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A list of disqualifying conditions is available at https://www.giftoflife.org/donors/eligibility
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Must be willing to donate to any patient in need
How You Can Register to Save a Life
Those wishing to register can go to www.giftoflife.org/swab to order a kit online. Once sent, you fill out a form, swab your cheeks, place the swabs back in the container, and send it back for testing.
Note: If you have already registered with one registry, you do not need to register with any separate registry.
References
Learn, Swab, save lives. Gift of Life.
https://www.giftoflife.org/donors/donationprocess1
https://www.giftoflife.org/dc/tonyjoec?blogid=318
