Becoming a bone marrow donor is a simple process that for most will only require registration. However, it is a simple thing that could one day save someone's life. If you would like to become a bone marrow donor, but never understood how, then how to donate bone marrow will take you through the steps.

1. Nearly 6,000 people need a bone marrow transplant every day in the U.S.
2. To become a donor, you must be between the ages of 18 and 60.
3. Some health conditions can exclude you from being a donor.
4. There are two ways you can donate bone marrow.
5. The most common type of donation does not require hospitalization or surgery.

The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact your doctor before using the information presented here.

Becoming a bone marrow donor is a simple process that for most will only require registration. However, it is a simple thing that could one day save someone's life. If you would like to become a bone marrow donor, but never understood how, then how to donate bone marrow will take you through the steps.

1. Nearly 6,000 people need a bone marrow transplant every day in the U.S.

2. To become a donor, you must be between the ages of 18 and 60.

3. Some health conditions can exclude you from being a donor.

4. There are two ways you can donate bone marrow.

5. The most common type of donation does not require hospitalization or surgery.

The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact your doctor before using the information presented here.

• Every day in the United States, nearly 6,000 people need a bone marrow transplant.CNN.com: Donating Bone Marrow, Saving Lives (January 12, 2009) Only 30 percent of them will find a match in a relative who is capable of donating.Bone Marrow and Cord Blood Donation and Transplantation: The Need for More Marrow Donors The other 4,200 have to rely on finding a match with a stranger who has registered as a bone marrow donor. For them, finding a unrelated individual with a compatible tissue type is literally a matter of life and death.Puget Sound Blood Center: Donating Bone Marrow

• For this reason, becoming a bone marrow donor is one of the most generous and life-changing things you can do. Other than the registration fee, there is no cost. While most registered donors are never needed, should you be asked to donate your bone marrow, you may discover it is not as horrible a procedure as you thought. In fact, for most it is a simple procedure that does not even require hospitalization.

• To be a bone marrow donor you must be in good health and between the ages of 18 and 60.Cancer.net: Donating Bone Marrow Although a complete health history will be required in order to determine if you qualify to become a bone marrow donor, here are a few health issues that will exclude you from donating:
  1. Having, or being at risk of having HIV/AIDS.DKMS: Bone Marrow Donor Eligibility
  2. Serious asthma that has required hospitalization or oral steroids.Puget Sound Blood Center: Donating Bone Marrow - NMDP Eligibility Guidelines
  3. Most forms of arthritis with the exception of mild to moderate osteoarthritis or degenerative arthritis.National Marrow Donor Program: Medical Guidelines for Joining the Registry - Arthritis
  4. Autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome, or fibromyalgia.Puget Sound Blood Center: Donating Bone Marrow - NMDP Eligibility Guidelines
  5. Most forms of cancer with the exception of cured localized cancer and healed breast, bladder or cervical cancer in situ.National Marrow Donor Program: Medical Guidelines for Joining the Registry - Cancer
  6. Diabetes, if you require insulin or have related health issues such as kidney, heart or eye disease.Puget Sound Blood Center: Donating Bone Marrow - NMDP Eligibility Guidelines
  7. Epilepsy, if you have had more than one seizure in the past year.DKMS: Bone Marrow Donor Eligibility
  8. Heart disease, including prior heart attack, history of angioplasty, bypass surgery, heart valve replacement surgery, or use of a pacemaker.Puget Sound Blood Center: Donating Bone Marrow - NMDP Eligibility Guidelines
  9. Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C; Hepatitis A is acceptable.National Marrow Donor Program: Medical Guidelines for Joining the Registry - Hepatitus
  10. Hip replacements or fractured hip bones.Puget Sound Blood Center: Donating Bone Marrow - NMDP Eligibility Guidelines
  11. Serious or chronic kidney problems such as polycystic kidney disease or glomerulonephritis.National Marrow Donor Program: Medical Guidelines for Joining the Registry - Kidney Problems
  12. Chronic Lyme disease, but not treated asymptomatic Lyme disease.Puget Sound Blood Center: Donating Bone Marrow - NMDP Eligibility Guidelines
  13. Malaria, if you have had symptoms in the past three years.DKMS: Bone Marrow Donor Eligibility
  14. Most organ or tissue transplantation, with the exception of bone, ligaments, tendons, skin and corneas.National Marrow Donor Program: Medical Guidelines for Joining the Registry - Organ or Tissue Transplant
  15. Pregnancy.Puget Sound Blood Center: Donating Bone Marrow - NMDP Eligibility Guidelines
  16. Sexually transmitted diseases.Puget Sound Blood Center: Donating Bone Marrow - NMDP Eligibility Guidelines
  17. Tuberculosis if you have active pulmonary tuberculosis in the past two years.Puget Sound Blood Center: Donating Bone Marrow - NMDP Eligibility Guidelines

• YouTube Video: How To Donate Bone Marrow (Time: 2:44)

• In order to register to be a bone marrow donor you need to complete three things.

1. Complete paperwork that includes a questionnaire about your health history, contact information and an agreement to join the registry.Bone Marrow and Cord Blood Donation and Transplantation: Joining the Registry - How to Join the Registry
2. Pay a fee for tissue typing. This fee ranges from $45 to $96, but is waived in some cases and is tax-deductible.The Bone Marrow Foundation: Become a Donor
3. Give either a swab of cheek cells or a blood sample.Bone Marrow and Cord Blood Donation and Transplantation: Joining the Registry - How to Join the Registry

• Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Donation is not a surgical process. Rather, it is much less invasive process called pheresis which collects healthy cells from the donor.DKMS: Peripheral Blood Stem Cells (PBSC) Donation Process

1. Each day for four to five days before the procedure, you will be given an injection of filgrastim.Bone Marrow and Cord Blood Donation and Transplantation: Donating Marrow Filgrastim is a protein similar to a naturally occurring hormone that removes blood-forming cells from your marrow and puts it into your bloodstream.National Marrow Donor Program: Steps of Bone Marrow & PBSC Donation
2. You may experience headaches, bone or muscle aches, nausea, insomnia or fatigue after the injections. However, these symptoms disappear within two days of your donation.National Marrow Donor Program: Myths & Facts about Bone Marrow Donation
3. During the PBSC donation procedure, a needle is inserted into each arm of the donor. Blood is removed from one arm and passed through an apheresis machine that removes the stem cells.Puget Sound Blood Center: Donating Bone Marrow The blood (minus stem cells) is then returned to the body through the other arm.National Marrow Donor Program: Steps of Bone Marrow & PBSC Donation
4. The procedure takes approximately four to six hours.Bone Marrow and Cord Blood Donation and Transplantation: Donating Marrow It may be repeated on a second donation day.Cancer.net: Donating Bone Marrow

• Bone marrow donation is a outpatient surgical procedure that requires a general anesthesia and is done in a hospital.National Marrow Donor Program: Steps of Bone Marrow & PBSC Donation During the procedure, doctors will use a hollow needle to extract about two to three percent of the liquid bone marrow from the back of your pelvic bones.Gift of Life: Educational Information, p. 3

1. You may receive a transfusion of your own, previously donated blood.Bone Marrow and Cord Blood Donation and Transplantation: Donating Marrow
2. The procedure lasts between 45 to 90 minutes.DKMS: Marrow Donation
3. After recovering from the anesthesia, you will be able to return home, usually within the same day of the procedure.DKMS: Marrow Donation
4. Afterwards, you may feel lower back pain, stiffness when walking and/or experience bleeding at the collection site.DKMS: Marrow Donation Other side effects can include nausea, headaches and fatigue caused by the anesthesia.Cancer.net: Donating Bone Marrow
5. You will be able to return to your normal routine within a few days.National Marrow Donor Program: Steps of Bone Marrow & PBSC Donation
6. Your own, healthy bone marrow will be replenished within four to six weeks.National Marrow Donor Program: Steps of Bone Marrow & PBSC Donation

• If after all this, you find that for some reason you are unable to donate bone marrow, there are other ways you can help. You can always donate money or time to help any of the national marrow registries.

• YouTube Video: Life - It's in You. Become a Marrow Donor Today (Time: 5:30)

• Introduction
• Step 1: See if You Qualify
• Step 2: Register
• Step 3: Matching Patient to Donor
• Procedure for PBSC
• Procedure for Bone Marrow Donation
• Conclusion
• References