Marrowthon

This afternoon I went down to the lunch for cafeteria (which usually I do not do) and I came across recruiters from Be The Match, which is the new name for the National Marrow Donor Program, or NMDP. My name is Laura Hampton, and I'm here to recruit you.

If you are between the ages of 18 and 60 and are without serious health problems, including diabetes requiring insulin or severe recent infections, you are eligible to register to be a donor. There are two ways to register: (1) Online at www.marrow.org or (2) in person at the recruitment center in Cleveland (216-447-0880). When I joined back when I was 18, the process involved giving a small sample of blood and paying $25. Now the process is free (though donations are appreciated) and only requires a swab of cheek cells (if you register online, they actually send the kit to you).

If you are selected as a donor, all of your costs will be covered by the NDMP. Prior to donation, patients receive the drug filgrastim to help boost up the number of stem cells. Some people do get bone pain with this medication, but nearly all of my patients are on it and very few have problems. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of donations do not require taking marrow from the bone. Most donations involve taking the cells from the blood, in a process similar to donating plasma. Only 5% or less of your marrow is taken, which is fully replaced by the body in 4-6 weeks.

If you are pregnant or considering becoming pregnant in the future, there is also an opportunity for umbilical cord blood donation. There are a few restrictions to donating, similar to the ones above and not all hospitals are active in this process. Once again, you can go to www.marrow.org for more details.

It is impossible to predict if you will be selected as a donor. I have been in the registry for over five years and I have never been called. But no matter what, you are still one more person on the list for these patients, one more person who could potentially save a life. I see people on a daily basis who would not be here if it were not for their transplant, so I urge you to consider becoming a donor.