becoming a bone marrow donor

[gaseousclay]

are any of you registered donors for bone marrow? I was watching Rock Center lastnight with Brian Williams and they did a segment on bone marrow donors and the process to find a match. I was surprised to learn that of all the donors who register, over 50% backout when matched with someone in need. I was shocked to hear this and wondered why these donors back out to begin with. I guess I found it morally repugnant that a donor match would hold someone's life in their hands and then deny them the opportunity to a full life. there are those who also advocate paying donors money to encourage them to register. I think once you monetize a necessity that can save someone's life you cease to be a 'donor' and are now a 'seller.' anyway, I'm in the process of registering through the national bone narrow donor site and will do the DNA swab test. their website claims that there's a higher need from those of mixed race, which is what I am, so maybe I can actually help someone in need.what about you?

 

[BladeDE40]

Good form...watched the same thing last night and have actually been contemplating being a donor for awhile. I think many people are afraid of what they percieve as a painful experience from what they may have seen on TV or heard about how they extract the bone marrow. They used to puncture the bone with a large bore needle to extract the bone marrow and that may still be done in some instances today, but they now have a drug they can give you that makes your body secrete the bone marrow into the blood after which they draw your blood and spin out the bone marrow. Either way, a little pain is a small proce to pay to save a life.

 

[chab]

I've been registered for more than 12 years an never been called. In all fairness, I think there are lots of people who mean well but can't follow through when faced with the reality of donating marrow for many reasons ranging from changed life situations to arranging work scheduled to just plain fear. I think the donor centers owe it to the people who sign up to be realistic in describing what it means to be a donor and then just hope they can get some follow through. Its tough to think that someone else's life is in the balance of that decision, but I think its no worse necessarily than if the donor never even considered signing up. Congrats on registering! Yes, some demographics are underrepresented compared to the need. Kudos for stepping up!

 

[Member357]

I've been registered for years in the UK and have never had a call. One thing that bothered me was that my company said i'd have to use annual leave for the recovery time required, which always seemed pretty heartless to me. More people should sign up and companies should be more understanding about people who are willing to help others. I'm not sure if all companies are the same or if there are laws about such things in other countries though.

 

[Matt555]

are any of you registered donors for bone marrow? I was watching Rock Center lastnight with Brian Williams and they did a segment on bone marrow donors and the process to find a match. I was surprised to learn that of all the donors who register, over 50% backout when matched with someone in need. I was shocked to hear this and wondered why these donors back out to begin with. I guess I found it morally repugnant that a donor match would hold someone's life in their hands and then deny them the opportunity to a full life. there are those who also advocate paying donors money to encourage them to register. I think once you monetize a necessity that can save someone's life you cease to be a 'donor' and are now a 'seller.' anyway, I'm in the process of registering through the national bone narrow donor site and will do the DNA swab test. their website claims that there's a higher need from those of mixed race, which is what I am, so maybe I can actually help someone in need.what about you?

Good for you! I can only imagine the reason the people back out, as BladeDE40 stated, is because it is painful. But hey, everyone like the idea of "offering help". Delivering on the offer is a whole different story. I am not a bone marrow donor, but I do give blood. I actually just donated 2 days ago because the night before, I saw on the news that the Red Cross is pleading for donations because of a national shortage. So anyone else that is interested.....go give blood! The Red Cross needs it!

 

[galopede]

I was a blood donor since I was 18, over 40 years ago. They won't take me any more as I am now on various medications! I was on the bone marrow register for a lot of that time and was never called.

I would still be giving blood if it wasn't for my dose of sarcoidosis and the pills I have to take to control it so do as Matt says above, go give blood if you don't already!

Gareth

 

[Member357]

I was a blood donor until I came to Japan. Japan won't accept British blood because of the BSE crisis in the mid 1990s, despite there being no evidence that BSE could be transmitted via blood transfusion.

 

[dpmtherrien]

I too have thought of becoming a donor, and that show made me check into it. However too much time has passed, and now I'm past the upper age limits.

 

[dundak]

I have donated marrow for both research and to an individual. It takes time and my employer gave no benefits and I had to use my own vacation to do it. Pain was like getting a bad hip bruise. Inconvenient but a lot easier than the patients having to get a transplant

 

[Nils]

I was a blood donor until I came to Japan. Japan won't accept British blood because of the BSE crisis in the mid 1990s, despite there being no evidence that BSE could be transmitted via blood transfusion.

Same here. I can't be a blood donor in Germany because I spent a year in Britan in 90/91...

I've been a registered marrow donor for 10 years.

 

[professorchaos]

I am and have been for years. No calls ...