Bone marrow donation

Who can donate bone marrow?

If you would like to become a potential bone marrow donor, you must be:

17 to 40 years of age to join the British Bone Marrow Registry
16 to 30 years of age to join the Anthony Nolan Trust register
in good general health
over 7 stone 12 pounds (50kg) in weight
have a body mass index (BMI) lower than 40 calculate your BMI

It is best to join the bone marrow register at a young age. The younger you are when you join, the more chance there is of your stem cells being most suitable for someone in need.

People unable to donate

Having certain medical conditions may mean you cannot donate bone marrow. These include:

HIV and AIDS
rheumatoid arthritis
hepatitis B and hepatitis C
heart disease
kidney disease
type 1 diabetes
cancer , including leukaemia now or in the past

If you become pregnant, you will be temporarily unable to donate until your baby is 12 months old. Although no problems have been reported, the safety of donating bone marrow during and shortly after pregnancy has not been fully established.

If you don't live in the UK you may not be eligible to join the register.

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 19 Oct 2016

Articles for bone marrow donation

Introduction

A bone marrow donation is a relatively straightforward medical procedure. Diseased or damaged bone marrow can be replaced by donated bone marrow cells, which help treat and often cure many life-threatening conditions

What is the use of bone marrow donation?

Bone marrow transplants are required when a persons bone marrow becomes damaged or diseased to such an extent that it stops functioning properly

How bone marrow donation works

Bone marrow donors must have a tissue type that is compatible with the person who is going to receive their bone marrow. If a suitable bone marrow donor cannot be found from family members, doctors will try to find someone with a compatible tissue type on the bone marrow donor register.

How bone marrow donation is performed

If you are on the bone marrow register and you are identified as a potential donor, you may be asked to provide a blood sample. If your tissue type matches the patient who requires bone marrow, you may be selected to donate.

Who can donate bone marrow?

If you would like to become a potential bone marrow donor, you must be 18 to 49 years of age, in good general health and over 7 stone 12 pounds (50kg) in weight

Patient story: "It felt good to get rid of a big bag of medicine."

Bridie Burrell was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia during the Christmas school holidays in 2004. She had a bone marrow transplant the following year.

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