By Shannon K. Jones
Staff Reporter
If you could save a life, would you? That is the question posed by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP).
Each year more than 30,000 people are diagnosed with blood diseases such as aplastic anemia or leukemia and find themselves searching for a bone marrow or stem cell donor. While siblings are the first to be tested for the procedure, 70 percent of patients are left to seek outside donors as a match. In the Native American population donors are less likely to find a match than caucasians, according to Patrick Thompson, NMDP public relations.
Donors are being recruited between the ages of 18 and 60.
The first step is to contact the NMDP at 1-800-MARROW-2 to find the closest donor center. In reference to the U.P., the closest branch office is Traverse City.
Next, tissue typing is done by a blood test. This allows NMDP to place your name on the registry and search for possible matches. When and if a patient recipient is found, the donor will go through a series of additional blood tests and a physical exam. Anyone in good general health and in the appropriate age range is eligible to become a donor.
The donor will then receive counseling and have the option to change their mind. Donating is of no cost to the donor, but the initial blood test — between $70 and $100 — may not be covered by NMDP. Presently the NMDP does not have adequate financing to cover the costs of everyone who wishes to be placed on the registry.
Once a recipient is selected, the donor will be informed of the type of donation being requested, bone marrow or blood stem cell.
The bone marrow procedure involves removing a small amount of marrow from the pelvic bone with a syringe while under general anesthesia. This procedure does not involve breaking of the bone and only requires a short stay in the hospital. The donor may feel soreness in the lower back that usually subsides within a week. Marrow removed will be regenerated by the body in a matter of weeks.
Blood stem cell donation is similar to donating blood. The difference, however, is the donor is placed on a regimen of medication injections for four to five days to increase the body's production of stem cells. The medication has the tendency to create soreness and body aches. The stem cells are then collected through a procedure called apheresis. While one needle removes blood from one arm, the stem cells are removed from the blood, and then the blood is returned back to the body via the other arm. Stem cells will regenerate themselves in four to six weeks.
After donation the donor and the recipient have the option to correspond anonymously through the NMDP. After one year, if the two agree, a meeting can be arranged.
Why be placed on the registry?
“American Indians can keep the circle strong for future generations by becoming volunteer donors on the NMDP Registry,” said Thompson. The need for people with minority and ethnic traits is great; in 2003 only 70 Native Americans were served by the Registry.
At any given time there are more than 3,000 people searching for a match. Currently there are approximately 66,000 people on the Registry who have identified themselves as American Indians/Native Alaskans on a registry with more than four million people.
For more information on how to be placed on the Registry call 1-800-MARROW-2 or visit www.marrow.org on the Internet. Donations are strictly voluntary.
