A marrow, or blood stem cell, transplant is a potentially lifesaving treatment for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood diseases. A transplant replaces a patients unhealthy blood cells with healthy blood-forming cells from a volunteer donor. Patients who do not have a suitable matching donor (70% of all transplants) in their family may search the National Marrow Donor Program's international Be The Match Registry®. The three sources of blood-forming cells are marrow, blood-forming cells collected from the blood (called a peripheral blood stem cell or PBSC donation), and umbilical cord blood.

Minorities are Especially Needed

While donors of all types may help save lives, there is a serious shortage of marrow/stem cell donors who represent ethnic minorities. Matches most often are found between people of the same ethnic group. Michigan Blood supports Be the Match Registry in its campaign to increase the ethnic diversity of its donor registry because a diverse group of prospective donors will give more transplant candidates a chance to find matches.

Marrow/Stem Cell Donor Requirements

• Healthy
• Age 18-60
• Complete a health-screening questionnaire
• Give a blood sample or cheek swab for tissue-typing
• Donation suggested

The Donation Process

Marrow donation is a surgical procedure performed in a hospital. After the donor receives anesthesia, doctors use special, hollow needles to withdraw liquid marrow from the donor's pelvic bones. Many donors receive a transfusion of their own previously donated blood. A donor's marrow is completely replaced within four to six weeks.

PBSC donation takes place at an apheresis center. 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. The donor's blood is then removed through a sterile needle in one arm, passed through a machine that separates out the cells used in transplantation, and then remaining blood is returned through the other arm.

Click here to learn more about the process.

Organize A Marrow Donor Registry Drive

Marrow donor registry drives can be held separately or in conjunction with blood drives. A dual drive gives donors the opportunity to help save lives by donating blood and by signing up for the National Marrow Donor Program's (NMDP) Be The Match Registry® at the same time.

Call our Marrow Recruitment Department toll-free in Michigan at 1-866-MIBLOOD (1-866-642-5663). Our Marrow staff will work with you to set a time and place, discuss funding options and also help promote your drive.