Bone Marrow Donation
Who can donate bone marrow?
Source: NHS
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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.
Articles for Bone Marrow Donation
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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