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Join the National Bone Marrow Registry

by Beth Hering
The Challenge

The National Bone Marrow Registry, also known as the Be The Match Registry, is a source of hope to people fighting leukemia and other blood diseases. Every time a new name is added to the registry of potential bone marrow donors, the chances increase that a person in need of a bone marrow transplant will find the match that saves his or her life. Right this minute, your bone marrow could be the factor that determines if someone's child, mother, grandfather, or friend lives or dies.

Bone marrow cannot just be given from any donor to any patient. Doctors must compare the characteristics of the stem cells of a potential donor's bone marrow to those of the patient in need. Family members are the first to be tested because they typically provide the best chance of a match. But all too often, the news is grim — leaving a devastated family to turn to a bone marrow registry of kind-hearted strangers as their last hope.

The odds of finding a suitable bone marrow donor who is not a family member is about 1 in 20,000. Yet the good news is that matches do happen despite the odds. In the past 10 years, the National Bone Marrow Donor Program has provided more than 25,000 people with a second chance at life. You can be a part of such miracles and make the odds better for a person in need of a bone marrow transplant by joining the bone marrow registry today.

How to Make a Difference

If you are between the ages of 18-60, join the Be The Match Registry online. You will be given a few questions to answer confirming that you meet the basic bone marrow donor guidelines for age and health. Then, you can order a tissue-typing kit. When you receive your kit, follow the instructions to give a swab of cheek cells to test for tissue type. Your information then will be stored in the National Bone Marrow Registry for use by doctors now and in the future.

(Note: The total cost to add a new member to the Be The Match Registry is about $100. This includes the cost of the testing needed to match donors to searching patients and related costs. Be The Match relies on financial contributions to help cover the costs of adding members to the registry. There are not always enough funds to cover the numbers of donors needed, so sometimes new members are asked to pay some of the registration costs when they join. This cost is the only direct expense associated with being a bone marrow donor. If you prove to be a match for someone, that patient's insurance will cover other expenses.)

Join the National Bone Marrow Registry in person by finding a marrow donation center in your area. You will fill out a form and answer questions about your health history, learn about the bone marrow and blood cell donation process, and give a small blood sample or swab of check cells to be tested for tissue type. (Some bone marrow centers charge for typing; others do not.)

After joining the bone marrow registry, tell friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors about your decision. The idea to join the bone marrow registry often does not occur to people unless they hear about someone else doing it. Order free “Take the First Step” brochures about bone marrow donation to give to anyone expressing interest. Post extra brochures at your local library, community center, workplace, and place of worship.

Minority representation on the National Bone Marrow Registry is particularly low, leaving minority patients with more staggering odds of finding a match. (A patient is most likely to match with someone of the same race or ethnicity.) Encourage minority enrollment on the bone marrow registry by making the need known. Send this article (with this section highlighted) to local churches with primarily African American or Latino congregations and to ethnic fraternities and sororities at your alma mater. Be The Match will work closely with interested groups to organize a bone marrow registration drive.

People thinking of joining the bone marrow registry are encouraged to read information found at the Be The Match website and to submit questions if they still have concerns. Staff members can also be reached at (800) MARROW2 (1-800-627-7692).