PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS NOT THE NATIONAL MARROW DONOR PROGRAM (aka BE THE MATCH) WEBSITE
THIS IS A VOLUNTEER ADVOCACY WEBSITE

To join "Be The Match" by ordering a test kit online please CLICK HERE (For U.S. residents)
To locate a live drive using your Zip Code please CLICK HERE
(For U.S. residents)
To learn where to register in all other countries please CLICK HERE

Site Menu
Home
About
Contact


Before Launching Your Drive

Learn about
The Disease
Ethnic Focus
Joining the Registry
Donor Programs
Common Myths
Donation Process
Privacy Concerns


Call to Action Tutorials

Online

Blog
Donor Drives (Online)
Email
Facebook
iPhone Applications
Logo
Twitter
Videos
Web Badges
Website

In Person
Business Cards
Buttons
Donor Drives (Live)
Flyers
Logo
Postcards
Signs

Media
This section is under development. The following media tutorials will be online soon.
Newspapers
Online News
PSA's
TV News
TV Programs


Free Online Tools

Illustrations
  • Donation Methods
  • Transplant

Video
  • Donation FAQ's
  • Live Drive


Info in Foreign Languages


Read and share donor Info written in Japanese on the Helping Yoko Website
 

Join the Donor Program

If you are here not as a patient or adovacte but as someone who wants to join the marrow donor program to possibly be a match and save a life someday please visit:
Be The Match
where you can order a home test kit online or join in person by locating a live drive using their Zip Code locater.

Be The Match Blog



Key Things to Understand Before Launching Your Donor Drive

1. Learn About the Disease
Click Here for Details

2. Why Ethnicity Matters Click Here for Details

3. Joining the Registry Click Here for Details

4. Locate a Donor Program to Partner With Click Here for Details

5. Common Myths and FAQ's Click Here for Details

6. Learn About the Donation Methods Click Here for Details

7. Learn About Privacy Online Click Here for Details


The Difference Between Marrow and PBSC Donation

What is Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSC) collection and how is it different from marrow donation?

There are TWO ways of giving your adult stem cells to a patient in need and both are normally relatively pain-free.

PBSC: 70% of the time donors are asked to give stem cells through their blood using a method called PBSC. To increase the number of blood-forming cells in the bloodstream, donors receive daily injections of a drug called filgrastim for five days before the collection.

A simplified illustration of the PBSC process.

How PBSC Works

While lying in bed with your arms at your sides your blood is then removed through a sterile needle in one arm and passed through a machine that separates out the blood-forming cells. This process is similar to donating plasma. The remaining blood is returned to you. It will probably take at least two harvesting sessions, with each lasting several hours to harvest the required number of stem cells. You can even watch tv or a movie while the harvest takes place. (more info here)

PBSC Risks: Fewer than 1% of PBSC donors experience a serious side effect from the donation process.

PBSC donation may require placement of a central line if you do not have suitable arm veins. A central line will be placed only with your consent after you have received information about the possible risks.

Another potential risk is associated with filgrastim injections. Though filgrastim is commonly used to treat cancer patients, the use of filgrastim in healthy donors is fairly new. Therefore, no data are yet available about the long-term safety. The NMDP began using filgrastim to aid in transplants in the 1990s. Since then, no NMDP donors have reported any long-term complications from filgrastim injections. (From the NMDP website)


Bone Marrow: 30% of the time, donors are asked to give their stem cells through a bone marrow donation. The majority of bone marrow donations are for children as they experience a higher success rate from marrow rather then PBSC.

This is a surgical procedure. While you receive anesthesia, doctors use special, hollow needles to withdraw liquid marrow from the back of your pelvic bones. Many donors receive a transfusion of their own previously donated blood.
Marrow Donation Illustration
Discomfort is usually minimal but sometimes severe. It typically only lasts a few days to weeks and is most often described as soreness similar to a bruise. Some donors also experience fatigue. (more info here)

Bone Marrow Donation Risks: The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) wants to assure donor safety, but no medical procedure is risk-free. The majority (more than 98.5%) of donors feel completely recovered within a few weeks. A small percentage (1.34%) of marrow donors experience a serious complication due to anesthesia or damage to bone, nerve or muscle in their hip region.

The risk of side effects of anesthesia during marrow donation is similar to that during other surgical procedures. Serious side effects of anesthesia are rare. Common side effects of general anesthesia include sore throat (caused by the breathing tube) or mild nausea and vomiting. Common side effects of regional anesthesia are a decrease in blood pressure and a headache after the procedure. (From the NMDP website)



Donate Umbilical Cord Blood: In the past, when a baby was born, the umbilical cord was thrown away. But today, blood from the umbilical cord can be collected after your baby's birth and donated to a public cord blood bank to help someone with a life-threatening disease. (more info here)

s

 

 

Back to Top of Page


All contents Copyright © 2009 - 2011 MarrowDrives.org. All rights reserved. All contents can be copied and re-posted for any and all not-for-profit purposes. Link backs are appreciated but not required.

Disclaimer: The information and suggestions on this site are just that and should not be interpreted as medical or legal advice. Please consult a physician or practicing attorney for any formal advice regarding these issues.

Information on any third party links located on this website are only verified by the original source.