I want to donate

[bebop]

I have done alot of thinking about donating marrow. I feel it is my duty to try to help others. Do any of you know how I would go about doing this?

[Neil Cuadra]

That's very generous of you. Volunteering to be a donor is easy and can save lives.

The way to become a potential bone marrow or stem cell donor in the U.S. is to sign up for the National Bone Marrow Registry at the Be The Match site of the National Marrow Donor Program. They send you a cheek swab kit. You swab your cheek to get some cells and then send them back.

See their list of frequently-asked questions for answers to the questions people usually ask about joining the registry.

Once you are registered, you wait to see if you're called to donate. They let you know if a patient in need of a transplant matches you. If you're still eligible, healthy, and willing to donate, they make the arrangements and you have a chance to save a life.

[Susan L]

Hi - I just had a friend log into the site and they are sending her a package to do the cheek swab. It is very easy to do, not like years ago. Thank you for being so thoughtful.

[bebop]

thank you all so much for the info. I dunno....this week it hit me like a ton of bricks that I need to do this. Never really thought about it before. thanks again.

[Noni]

Thank you so much for posting this and for sharing the information.

I used the link to register and request the collection kit.

[Neil Cuadra]

Information about the British Bone Marrow Registry, which is managed by the National Health Service, can be found on their Question & Answer page.

[Neil Cuadra]

You can see what the NMDP processing and storage facilities look like in this video. You have to wait through a short ad first, but then you can see how the NMDP checks in the sample kits, stores them, and even where they keep the blood samples that they collected from potential donors in the 1990s before they switched to cheek swabs.

[launch]

Hi Bebop,
I recently signed to be a donor through Be the Match too. I did the cheek swab thing, and within about 3 months received a letter notifying me I had been entered into the registry. I pray I can give the gift of life to someone someday! Glad you're on board too!

Hugs, Cindy