How to become a bone marrow donor

GETTING REGISTERED TO BECOME A DONOR IS FAST, EASY AND PAIN FREE!!
Thanks to the donor center, DKMS, the registration fee is in not manditory at concerts this summer (regular fee is $65 to become a donor). Detailed information on how it works and donor eligibility is below.

1. Attend a Love Hope Strength drive at concerts and events where you can GET ON THE LIST to save a life. See our event calendar.
2. Register by mail through DKMS.

YOU might be the ONE person to save a life!

How do I become a marrow or blood stem cell donor?
1. It is a painless and simple procedure to get registered.
2. You complete a registration form and sign a donor consent form.
3. You have your cheek swabbed with a cotton-tipped swab. The cells are taken and sent to a lab to be tested to determine your tissue type.
4. Your data is then entered into the National Marrow Donor Program registry in anonymous form, so doctors can search for a donor for their patients.

Basic eligibility requirements:
-Between ages 18 & 55
-Be in good health
-Weigh more than 110 lbs.
-Not be HIV positive or at risk for AIDS
-Not have severe heart disease
-Not have a history of cancer*
-Not have severe asthma
(daily inhalers are acceptable)
-Not have diabetes requiring insulin
-Not have hepatitis
-Not have epilepsy
-Not have chronic or severe back problems
-Not have autoimmune disorders (such as lupus, rheumatiod arthritis or multiple sclerosis)
*Cervical, breat and bladder cancer (stage o) and cured skin cancer acceptable

How are blood stem cells collected?
Once you have been identitifed as a match for a patient, there are two ways, both outpatient procedures, you can GIVE LIFE.

Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSC) (Approximately 70% to 80% of collections are performed this way)
This procedure involves receiving daily medication for four to five days before the collection to increase stem cells in the bloodstream. The donor’s blood is then removed from one arm, passed through a machine that separates out the cells needed and returned back into the other arm.

Marrow (NOT SPINAL) Tissue (Approximately 20% to 30% of collections are performed this way)
Doctors collect the cells, with a special needle, from the pelvic bone (in the lower part of your back) where a small amount of marrow containing stem cells is extracted. This procedure is done under local anesthesia so the donor does not experience pain during the collection process.

Learn more about DKMS

Register through the mail at DKMS