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Donating Bone Marrow and Platelets (and Blood! and Organs ! and Umbilical Cord Blood !) Oh My!
Every year, thousands of adults and children need bone marrow transplants -- a procedure which may be their only chance for survival. Although some patients with aplastic anemia, leukemia or other cancers have a genetically matched family member who can donate, about 70 percent do not. These patients' lives depend on finding an unrelated individual with a compatible tissue type -- often within their own ethnic group -- who is willing to donate marrow. There is a critical need for more volunteer donors. Many patients, especially people of color, cannot find a compatible donor among those on the registry. Patients and donors must have matching tissue types, and these matches are found most often between people of the same ethnic group. A large, ethnically diverse group of prospective donors will give more patients a chance for survival.
What is Marrow?Marrow is the tissue found inside bones that produces red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. These vital blood cells fight infection, carry oxygen and help control bleeding. Any disease that attacks the marrow can eliminate the body's ability to protect itself.
Who Can Donate Marrow?If you are in good health and between the ages of 18 and 60, you may be eligible to join the NMDP's registry, where patients seeking a compatible donor begin their search. Steps to Donating Marrow: How Can I Join the Registry?
Why are More People of Color Needed? Because patients are most likely to find a compatible donor within their own ethnic group, a diverse group of potential donors is needed. Over 3 million volunteers have joined the national registry. Of the 2,700,000 donors whose race is known, 28% are people of color. Percentage of ethnic groups on the national registry Total Where Race is Known
FundingWhen someone volunteers to join the national registry of potential donors, a blood sample is taken and is tissue-typed. This test costs $60. Because funding is limited and the need to diversify the registry is so critical, the U.S. government pays the fee for people of ethnic minorities. Money to cover the cost to test Caucasian volunteers usually must be donated by the individual or others. Is $60 too much? How many of us would spend that on two meals or less out with the family?
Once a donor is found to match a patient, the donation is
paid for by the NMDP and billed to the patient and transplant center.
The Nuts and Bolts of Bone Marrow Transplants
Bone Marrow Donations and the Red Cross
Bone Marrow Centers in Germany
Information taken from © 1998 Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center All rights reserved.
Aspheresis - Platelet donationMany lifesaving medical treatments require platelet transfusions. Cancer patients, those receiving organ or bone marrow transplants, victims of traumatic injuries, and patients undergoing open heart surgery require platelet transfusions to survive. Because platelets can be stored for only five days, the need for platelet donations is vast and continuous.Platelet transfusions are needed each year by thousands of patients like these:
What are Platelets?
Platelets are blood cells that help control bleeding. When a blood vessel is
damaged, platelets collect at the site of the injury and temporarily repair the
tear. Platelets then activate substances in plasma which form a clot and allow
the wound to heal.
What is Apheresis?Apheresis (ay-fur-ee-sis) is a special kind of blood donation that allows a donor to give specific blood components, such as platelets. During the apheresis procedure, all but the needed blood component are returned to the donor.
Why is Blood Separated?
Different patients need different types of blood components, depending on their
illness or injury. After you donate whole blood, the unit is separated into
platelets, red cells and plasma in our laboratory. Only two tablespoons of
platelets are collected from a whole blood donation. Six whole blood donations
must be separated and pooled to provide a single platelet transfusion. However,
one apheresis donation provides enough platelets for one complete transfusion
-- that's six times the amount collected from a whole blood donation.
Who Can be an Apheresis Donor?
If you meet the requirements for donating blood, you probably can give
platelets. Apheresis donors must:
Yes. Each donation is closely supervised throughout the procedure by trained
staff. A small percentage of your platelets are collected, so there is no risk
of bleeding problems. Your body will replace the donated platelets within 72
hours. The donation equipment (needle, tubing, collection bags) are sterile and
discarded after every donation, making it virtually impossible to contract a
disease from the process.
How Does the Procedure Work?Blood is drawn from your arm through sterile tubing into a centrifuge. The centrifuge spins the blood to separate the components, which vary in weight and density. A port is opened along the spinning tubing at the level containing platelets. These platelets are drawn up into a collection bag, while the remaining blood components (red cells and plasma) are returned to you through your other arm.
How Long Does it Take?
Depending on your weight and height, the apheresis donation process will take
approximately 70 minutes to two hours. You may watch television or videotapes,
listen to music, or simply sit back and relax while helping to save a life.
Please call your local blood bank and ask about apheresis!!
ORGAN DONATIONS
Most people I know who have no objections on religious grounds say "I'd like to
give my organs to be donated when I die" but do they do anything about it?
Make sure your close relatives know your wishes (and your exact wishes about
ressucitation, etc..), and even better, have it written in
your will (if you have one) and also register to be an organ donor when you
register for your drivers' license. (I think most DPS do this.) Make sure
your relatives know, most of all, for most wills are not read until after you
are gone - and most organs are no longer viable that long after death. Find
out about regulations in your area. It only takes a few
minutes, but can prolong someone else's life, give them sight, or help them
live fuller lives! Next time you visit your doctor, ask him/her about details
of how to do this in your community.
A Word to the Pregnant among you!
Please, please ask your doctor about saving the
umbilical cord blood
when your baby is born! It is rich in "stem cells" - those rich,
life-giving cells that
haven't decided what to become yet. They are on the forefront of new
treatments in medical science at the moment and can be used only if you ask the
doctor to keep them, donate them or use them in some way. Otherwise, they go
in the trash and help no one. Especially if you have a lot of cancer in your
family! Ask your obstetrician about details and regulations in your community.
Last updated November 01, 2001 15:03:16 
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