You can save a life

It’s much easier than you think

Donate bone marrow

Every three or four minutes, someone in the United States is diagnosed with a blood cancer like leukemia, and 70% of patients do not have a fully matched donor in their family. For many, their only hope for a cure is a bone marrow (also known as a blood stem cell transplant) from an unrelated donor, and with today’s science and technology it no longer requires the painful process of drilling into the bone. This type of donation is called an allogeneic transplant, or an unrelated donor transplant if the donor is not a family member.  

More people are needed to join the registry so patients like Nick have a greater chance of finding a match. Joining the donor registry is the first step to become a bone marrow donor. 

  • Healthy blood stem cells are needed to live. When disease affects marrow so that it cannot function properly, a blood stem cell transplant could be the best treatment option, and for some patients, offers the only potential cure.

    A blood stem cell transplant takes a donor’s healthy blood-forming cells and puts them into the patient’s bloodstream, where they begin to grow and make healthy red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Patients receive high doses of chemotherapy/radiation to prepare their body for the transplant. Then on transplant day, the patient receives the donated cells in a painless process similar to getting blood through an IV.

  • After joining the Be The Match Registry you will be contacted if you are identified as a possible bone marrow match for a patient. When you’re contacted as a possible match, you have been identified as having similar HLA typing to a patient with leukemia, lymphoma or one of more than 75 life-threatening diseases.

    Step 1. The transplant center does a preliminary search of the Be The Match Registry where you’re ranked high on a list of potential donors who are a possible match for a patient.

    Step 2. A patient’s doctor requests additional testing of your HLA tissue sample (that you provided when you joined the registry) to determine if you’re a good match, helping to narrow the list of potential donors.

    Step 3. For confirmatory typing, a patient’s doctor requests a blood sample from you for additional testing to determine if you’re the best donor for the patient.

    At each stage you will be asked to:

    • Confirm your willingness to move forward.

    • Sign a consent form.

    • Complete questions about your health so that donation is safe for you and the patient. See medical guidelines when you match a patient for more information.

    • Confirm your contact information.

    • Discuss any questions you have about additional testing and the donation process.

    • After any testing stage, it may take up to 60 days for the patient’s doctor to review the results, select a donor and decide to move forward with a transplant.

    All medical expenses related to additional testing and donation will be covered by the patient’s insurance or by Be The Match®.

Learn more

Donate blood + platelets

Throughout the course of our treatment, we have learned the importance of the life-saving benefits of blood and other blood products. Unlike other uses for blood products where the recipient may be given a bag or two, leukemia makes it so the body cannot generate healthy blood on it’s own, requiring multiple transfusions. In fact, during our first month-long stay in the hospital we continuously were given platelets and hemoglobin about every two to three days. This process of receiving blood products can continue until after a bone marrow/stem cell transplant is complete when the body can begin making healthy blood again.

  • Platelets are tiny cells in your blood that form clots and stop bleeding. Platelets are most often used by cancer patients and others facing life-threatening illnesses and injuries.

    In a platelet donation, an apheresis machine collects your platelets along with some plasma, returning your red cells and most of the plasma back to you. A single donation of platelets can yield several transfusable units, whereas it takes about five whole blood donations to make up a single transfusable unit of platelets.

    If donating through American Red Cross, Platelets are collected at donation centers only, and are not collected at blood drives. Learn more about platelet donations.

    Who it helps: Platelets are a vital element of cancer treatments and organ transplant procedures, as well as other surgical procedures.

    Time it takes: About 2.5-3 hours

    Ideal blood types: A+, A-, B+, O+, AB+ and AB-

    Donation frequency: Every 7 days, up to 24 times/year

  • Whole blood is the most flexible type of donation. It can be transfused in its original form, or used to help multiple people when separated into its specific components of red cells, plasma and platelets. Learn more about whole blood donations.

    Who it helps: Whole blood is frequently given to trauma patients and people undergoing surgery.

    Time it takes: About 1 hour

    Ideal blood types: All blood types

    Donation frequency: Every 56 days, up to 6 times a year

  • During a Power Red donation (also called a Double Red Cell donation), you give a concentrated dose of red cells, the part of your blood used every day for those needing transfusions as part of their care. This type of donation uses an automated process that separates your red blood cells from the other blood components, and then safely and comfortably returns your plasma and platelets to you.

    With just a little extra time at your appointment, you can donate more red cells and increase your impact on patients in need. Learn more about Power Red donations.

    Who it helps: Red cells from a Power Red donation are typically given to trauma patients, newborns and emergency transfusions during birth, people with sickle cell anemia, and anyone suffering blood loss.

    See specific detailsTime it takes: About 1.5 hours

    Ideal blood types: O+, O-, A-, and B-

    Donation frequency: Every 112 days, up to 3 times/year

    Height/Weight requirements: See specific details

Learn more

How you can help

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Looking for other ways to help?

While our primary focus is to help spread awareness and help increase life-saving donations for cancer patients all over the world, we understand you may want to help in other ways as well.

If you are absolutely set on helping us directly, an H-E-B gift card is always welcome as we are currently following a nutrition plan to complement our treatment and maximize healing and recovery.