You could be someone's hero - someone you don't know and may never meet, but to whom you can give the gift of life. How? By donating blood stem cells.
Who Can be an Unrelated Donor?
In the United States, NMDP is the organization that matches patients who need a transplant with people who have volunteered to donate their blood stem cells to someone in need. NMDP focuses on recruiting people 18-40 years old because patients receiving cells from younger donors end to have the best outcomes.
Click here for details about how to join the NMDP registry.
Before you can enroll as a potential donor, you need to meet certain health criteria. The medical guidelines for unrelated donors can be found on the NMDP website.
If you live outside the U.S. go to Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide for information about the donor recruitment agency in your country.
Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA)
To register as a potential donor, the NMDP Registry will need to know your HLA or human leukocyte antigen type.
- Human leukocyte antigens are markers on your cells that help identify what belongs in your body.
- Your HLA type needs to closely match the patient's in order for you to be a suitable donor.
- You do not need to have the same blood type as the patient's in order to be a donor.
Your HLA type is determined by taking a swab of cheek cells from inside your mouth. The cells are sent to a special laboratory for analysis.
What Happens If I Match Someone Who Needs a Transplant?
Some people join the NMDP Registry and are called upon to donate within a matter of months. Others may wait years, or are never called at all.
If you are notified that you are a possible match for a patient who needs a transplant you will:
- receive extensive counseling about the donation procedure from an NMDP Registry representative
- provide a blood sample for additional tests to confirm that you are a good match for the patient
- have the opportunity to ask questions about how donating will impact your health, work schedule, and other issues of concern before making a final commitment to donate
How Blood Stem Cells are Collected
In most cases, you will be asked to donate blood stem cells collected from the bloodstream. In some cases, however, the transplant team will request that you donate bone marrow.
The medical procedures you will undergo for each type of donation are described in the How Stem Cells are Collected section of our website.
Who Will Get My Stem Cells?
The patient who needs your blood stem cells may live anywhere in the world. You will not need to go to the same city where the patient is being treated. You cells will be transported by courier to the transplant center.
Many donors want information about the person to whom their cells will be given. Although you will not be told the patient's name, you will be given some information such as whether the person is a child or an adult, and the patient's gender and diagnosis. If you donate through NMDP you may be able to learn the patient's identity and how to contact him or her one year after transplant, provided the patient agrees to share this information.
Cord Blood Donation
Your baby's umbilical cord and placenta, which are normally discarded after birth, contain blood stem cells. These cells can be collected after your child is born and donated to a cord blood bank to help a patient who needs a stem cell transplant
Click here to learn more about donating your baby's cord blood to a public cord blood bank.
