Bone Marrow Donation is Incredible Gift
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Did you know that in the United States there are at least 6,000 people who are in need of a bone marrow transplant on any given day? Offering to donate bone marrow is an incredible gift that requires some commitment but may save lives threatened by cancers and blood diseases. Donating bone marrow is commonly done as a surgical procedure and often requires anesthesia, but saving lives with the donation is an incredible gift to others.
Bone marrow is a spongy material that is found inside some major bones like the hipbone. The stem cells in the bone marrow are the building blocks of the blood. The red blood cells - which carry oxygen; the white cells - which fight infection; and the platelets - which stop bleeding, are all produced by the stem cells and are released into the blood stream via the veins and the thin tissue surrounding the bone.
If you intend to become a bone marrow donor, you will have to undergo a physical examination to make sure you have no serious medical conditions. You will also find out if the donation would pose any risks to either you or the patient.GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST
Qualifications for Donating Bone Marrow
In the United States, you must be between 18 and 60 years old to become a bone marrow donor. In order to qualify, you must fill out a detailed health history form and in order to be a registered donor, you must have your tissue type determined. This involves a simple swab sample from the inside of your cheek.
Donating Bone Marrow Requires a Time Commitment
There will be a time commitment involved for taking blood and tissue tests to make sure the transplant will be successful. If you are contacted as a match and change your mind about donating, consider the fact that your decision could be devastating and life-threatening to the patient.
In Rhode Island, there are two ways to give according to the Rhode Island Blood Center:
A Marrow Donation is donated in a hospital. After anesthesia is given, doctors remove a small amount of marrow from the back of the hip bones with a needle and syringe. Recovery is quick, though most donors have some bone pain and aches for several days or a few weeks. The marrow given naturally replenishes itself in four to six weeks. This method is selected 20 percent of the time.
A Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Donation is a special type of blood donation given at the Rhode Island Blood Center. Five daily injections of a stem cell growth factor are given to donors to increase the number of stem cells released from the marrow into the blood stream. Then an apheresis blood donation is made. Donors can experience bone pain as a result of receiving the growth factor. Recovery is quick, however, just one or two days after the donation is made. This method is selected 80 percent of the time.
Register
In Rhode Island, you can register at any Rhode Island Blood Center (RIBC) office. RIBC offers marrow donor registration at no charge. They will bill health insurance for the cost of tissue typing that is needed to add you to the Registry. If you do not have health insurance or have a high deductible the typing fees will be covered by their sponsor, Michael's Fund of Fall River, Massachusetts.
Information Sessions
If you are selected as the best donor for a patient, you will be asked to attend an information session tolearn about the donation process, risks and side effects.
Remain Available
If your tissue type matches that if a patient in need of a bone marrow transplant, you will be contacted, so it's important that you keep your contact information up-to-date and respond promptly.
Thousands of patients wait for a bone marrow donor who can make their life-saving transplant possible. Learning about the process and making the decision to donate is one to be taken very seriously but can be very rewarding.
To learn more about the National Marrow Donor Program, call the Rhode Island Blood Center: 401-248-5720
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