The A to Z of bone marrow donation
Steps to donation
Registering as a volunteer donor means making a long-term commitment to give a small amount of your bone marrow cells to help cure a patient.
Bone marrow donation can be splitted down into 10 essential steps :
Before registering as a volunteer donor, I take the time to get all relevant information and think about my commitment.
I request registration by completing a registration form on the Internet or on paper which is forwarded to the concerned donor centre.
The donor centre closest to my home contacts me. A medical interview is conducted and a blood sample is taken. I answer frankly the doctor’s questions about my recent and past state of health and about my personal life, in order to assess any risks for the patient and myself. Biological tests are carried out on my blood sample to establish my HLA typing. This typing allows the definition of the characteristics of my bone marrow so that they can be compared with those of the patients who need a transplant.
If there is no contra-indication to prevent it, my registration with France Greffe de Moelle Registry is confirmed.
I don’t have anything else to do ! I keep myself available and remember to update the Registry if anything changes in my life.
Every day, the Registry is consulted. One day, my characteristics may match those of a patient. I am then contacted by the donor centre
I have another interview and some further examinations are performed in order to check my state of health and confirm my HLA type. If I am compatible, the stern cell collection is scheduled by the donor centre, between one and three months in advance, allowing me to make all necessary arrangements.
The collection of bone marrow cells is carried out, either by apheresis from the circulating blood or by aspirating the cells directly from the bone (posterior iliac crest) under general anesthesia.
The bone marrow is transported to the transplant centre and transplanted into the patient (transfusion).
I may have saved a life.
