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Questions and Answers about Marrow Transplantation (Part 2)

Blood Testing to become registered as a donor

Step1

First, a small blood specimen (about 1 tablespoon) is obtained from the arm like any other blood test procedure. The specimen is analyzed by specialized laboratories to determine the precise marrow type. There are over 20,000 marrow types. Through highly confidential computer searches, marrow types of patients and prospective donors are matched. If a match occurs and the volunteer agrees to be a donor, this is the procedure:

A living Gift Of life

Step 2

Marrow is taken from the hipbone (usually less than 5 percent of a donor's marrow is needed; marrow replenishes itself within a couple of weeks, during which time the donor doesn't miss it).

Under anesthesia, marrow is aspirated (withdrawn by suction) from the donor using a needle and syringe.

The making of a miracle

Step3

The needle is periodically moved slightly to obtain the marrow from various nooks and crannies in the bone. Repeated aspirations are pooled so as to provide an adequate amount of marrow to the recipient.

If the recipient is a baby, a coffee cup of marrow is needed; an adult male may need as much as a coffee pot.

Patient Receives the gift of a stranger

Step 4

The donor's marrow is flown to the patient the same day and given as a blood transfusion. There is no surgical cutting involved from either donor or recipient.

The donated marrow finds its way into the recipient's marrow cavities, nests and ultimately begins to produce healthy blood cells. This production of cell lasts a lifetime for the recipient.