Gabe,
You are correct. There are really three aspects that you could share with other people. The first (joining the registry) is the one that needs the most publicity, but it's good to know more about the donation process itself for those who have questions.
Joining the NMDP registry
Joining the National Marrow Donor Program Registry usually involves a cheek swab and some paperwork, including a short health questionnaire.
Another choice is to give a small blood sample, but I don't know why anyone would prefer that to a cheek swab, unless they arrange to have the sample taken while they are donating blood anyway.
Somebody (the registrant or a sponsoring organization) has to pay for the tissue typing, on average about $50.
The website of the National Marrow Donor Program provides
more information.
Stem cell donation
Registrants don't get called to donate stem cells or marrow unless they happen to match someone in need. A lot of people, including me so far, are on the Registry but have never been asked to donate.
If you do show up as a match when a Registry search is done for a patient, the National Marrow Donor Program contacts you and provides full information about the procedure, checks if you are still available and willing to donate. You get tested at your local hospital or clinic to see if you are indeed a match for the patient. They also talk to you about the schedule.
You can say yes or no, but if you say yes it's extremely important to follow through, since a patient's life likely depends on their receiving your donated stem cells or marrow on the appointed day.
For a few days before a stem cell donation, you'll be given Neupogen injections. That puts stem cells into your circulating blood so it's easy to extract them. On donation day, you donate the stem cells the same way you'd donate platelets or plasma. It's an outpatient procedure.
Donors never pay for the donation procedure. The patient's insurance covers it.
Bone marrow donation
Most of the description above applies both for donating stem cells and for donating bone marrow.
The difference is that when you donate bone marrow it is taken from the pelvic bone, under anesthesia in a hospital, rather than directly from the bloodstream. Neupogen is not used.
After a bone marrow donation, you may be sore for a couple of days. Some donors have said they felt fine immediately, while one donor told me it felt like a bad bruise for few days.
It's easy to get more information about any of this by going to the
NMDP website or by contacting them.