If you have been asked to donate stem cells to a relative, you may experience many emotions. Most related donors are glad to have the opportunity to help a loved one. Nonetheless, donors have legitimate concerns about how the donation procedure will affect their own health in both the short- and long-term.
In most cases, the medical procedure used to collect cells for transplant will have a minimal, short-term impact on your health. However, as with all medical procedures, there is a small chance that you may experience side effects that are more severe.
Before you agree to be a donor, you will undergo a physical exam to determine whether donating is safe for you. Be sure to share with the transplant team your complete medical history including illnesses and surgeries you have had in the past, even if you don’t think they are important, as well as current health concerns.
Medical Issues that May Affect Your Ability to Donate
Tell the transplant team if you have had any of the following medical conditions:
- AIDS/HIV
- severe arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis
- severe asthma
- diabetes
- autoimmune disease such as multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia
- back, hip, neck or spinal problems or surgeries
- bleeding problems such as hemophilia, aplastic anemia or https://bmt-d9.shiva.ops.cividesk.com/transplant-article/how-blood-stem-cells-are-collecteda history of more than one deep vein blood clot
- breathing problems such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, sleep apnea or cystic fibrosis
- a history of cancer
- a history of depression or other mental health problem
- epilepsy
- heart disease, heart attacks or a history of heart surgery
- hepatitis or possible exposure to hepatitis
- a history of jaundice caused by mononucleosis or cytomegalovirus (CMV)
- kidney problems
- liver disease such as hepatitis, cirrhosis or Wilson's disease
- Lyme disease
- prior organ or tissue transplant recipient
- pregnancy
- tuberculosis
- problems with general or regional anesthesia
Many of these conditions do not necessarily exclude you from being a donor but should be thoroughly discussed with the transplant team.
At many transplant centers, a different doctor than the patient’s doctor conducts the interview and physical exam of the donor. This can ease concerns that the doctor will consider the patient’s health more important than the donor’s. If this is not the standard operating procedure at the medical center where your loved one is being treated, don’t hesitate to request an independent doctor if it will make you feel more comfortable.
How Stem Cells and Bone Marrow are Collected
Details about the medical procedure used to collect your blood stem cells and possible short-term side effects are described in our website's How Stem Cells are Collected section.
Don't Hesitate to Ask Questions
It is common for donors to be reluctant to ask the medical team many questions about being a donor. Everyone is focused on helping the patient get
well, and donors sometimes feel selfish asking questions about their own health or seeking counseling if they have doubts or worries.
It’s important to remember that you are a patient too. Your health and well-being are every bit as important as that of the patient. You are entitled to have your questions and concerns thoroughly addressed. If an answer is unclear, keep asking until you understand it.
A very important question that donors often neglect to ask is "Will I save my loved one's life if I donate my stem cells?" The answer is maybe.
If you have been selected as the best possible donor, you are giving your loved one a second chance at life. Even if you are a very good match, there are many other factors beyond your control that will determine whether or not the transplant is successful. Problems can arise after transplant such as infection, organ damage, or graft-versus-host disease that can impact survival. In some cases, the disease will come back several months or years after transplant.
Some donors assume that a cure is guaranteed if they donate their stem cells and are shocked if the patient develops serious complications or dies. It’s best to have a frank discussion with the doctor before the transplant about the possible transplant outcomes for your loved one. Preparing yourself in advance for all possibilities can help you cope if problems arise.
Be cautiously optimistic when donating your stem cells. Hope for the best, but prepare for setbacks. With luck, your loved one will have many more years of life.
Emotional Challenges for Related Donors
Although it can be exciting to have the opportunity to give a loved one a second chance at life, it can be stressful as well.
- Many donors wonder what they can do to make their stem cells better.
- Some worry that if the transplant is not successful it will be their fault.
There is nothing you can do to strengthen or improve your stem cells. The most important things you can do are eat right, get enough sleep, and ensure you are healthy enough to donate them when the time comes.
Even though many factors that determine the success of a transplant are beyond your control, you may still feel responsible for the outcome. This can be a heavy emotional burden.
It can help to discuss your feelings with a counselor or with another person who has been a donor for a loved one. The patient's hospital may have social workers who can help you think through these concerns. BMT InfoNet's Caring Connections Program can put you in touch with other people who have been donors.
Don't ignore your feelings. Feeling nervous, scared, responsible for the outcome or unsure about whether you want to donate is normal. Talking about these feelings with others is important.
What if You Don't Want to be a Donor?
Sometimes a relative prefers not to be a donor. You may:
- be concerned about your own health
- feel pressure from a spouse not to donate
- have a medical condition that would disqualify you as a donor that you do not want to disclose to other family members
If you are a reluctant donor, discuss your concerns frankly and confidentially with the transplant doctor assigned to you. Ask if the patient has other options if you choose not to be a donor.
The doctor can inform the patient that you are not a possible donor without disclosing the reason why.
Who Pays for This?
Typically, the patient’s insurance covers the cost of collecting the donor’s blood stem. However, this is not always the case. If the patient’s insurance does not cover the cost, the transplant center will work out an arrangement with the patient to cover the cost.
Other financial issues to consider:
Some donors need to take time off work for the physical exam and actual donation which can result in lost pay.
If the donor is asked to travel out of town in order to donate, this, too, will require time off work.
Lost pay and travel expenses are typically not covered by the patient’s insurance.
