Q: I live in California and have a friend in Brazil who was diagnosed with leukemia. She is in need of a bone marrow transplant and her family members are not compatible donors. I would really like to help her. I am wondering if there is a way my blood/tissue can be tested here in the states to see if I could be a donor for her. If not, I am wondering if there are some good resources we can use to help her find a suitable donor.
A: I commend you for considering this life-saving gift to help your friend. The procedure begins with joining what’s called “Be The Match Registry”, the new name for the National Marrow Donor Program Registry. This process can be done in person or online. This is followed by being asked to donate either bone marrow or cells from circulating blood which is known as PBSC (peripheral blood stem cell) donation. If you are a match to the individual in question, you will then participate in an information session in which you will be given specific details regarding the donation as well as the recovery process, the risks and side effects. If you then agree to donate, you will sign a consent form. This will be followed by a physical examination to assure that the donation is safe for the individual in question as well as for yourself.
Your friend’s physician will choose the method that will be most beneficial to the patient – either PBSC or marrow donation. The initial donation is a non-surgical procedure that takes place at an out-patient hospital facility or a blood center. You will be given injections of a drug for several days to increase the number of blood-forming cells in your bloodstream. Your blood will then be removed through a needle in your arm and passed through a machine that separates the blood-forming cells. The blood that remains will then be returned to you through your other arm. Within a four to six week period your blood-forming cells will be back to what they were prior to the drawing. You can expect muscle or bone aches and a headache prior to the collection, a common side effect of the injections that will dissipate within two weeks following the donation.
Should a marrow donation be the preferred method, this becomes a surgical procedure performed in a hospital setting. You will receive anesthesia and liquid marrow will be withdrawn from the back of your pelvic bone. Again, within a four to six week period, the marrow will replace itself completely.
Pain in the lower back may be present for a few days following the donation; however, most marrow donors completely recover within three weeks of the donation. With either procedure, you will be followed closely by the Registry until you are completely back to normal.
Approximately one in every 540 individuals will be a match and may advance to the donation stage. Tissue types vary and there is no early prediction as to whether an individual can make a donation to the person of his or her choice. Should you match your friend’s tissue type, additional testing will be required to determine if you are the best possible match.
Now, a few points that may be of interest. You will never have to pay to donate, nor will you be paid to donate. All costs for either procedure will be covered by the program or by the patient’s medical insurance plan. This includes all travel expenses and other non-medical costs. On average, the entire donation process can take up to 40 hours that includes travel time over a four to six week period. Remember that this is a completely voluntary act of kindness on your part and you have the authority to call it off at any phase of the process if you so desire.
Your first step is to contact the Registry and determine if your blood can be tested here to accommodate a person in Brazil. Next comes compatibility. Then you may have an up-hill battle because of your friend’s place of residence. I do not know what Brazil’s requirements are, or if you will be allowed to -be tested here but the Registry can advise you along these lines. In any event, you’re a brave and generous individual to consider the act and I commend you for it. Good luck.
