Bone marrow donation
can save the lives of patients with leukemia or other blood diseases.
As an affiliate of
the National Marrow Donor Program, UT Southwestern Medical Center helps connect
patients with a donor match through the Be the Match Registry®.
For more information
on how to become a bone marrow donor, please visit the National Marrow Donor Program.
Relative Donations at UT Southwestern
If a relative is
interested in donating bone marrow to a patient, we’ll assess his or her
suitability. If multiple relatives are interested in donating, we’ll generally test
siblings first. If siblings aren’t suitable donors, we’ll test a patient’s
children and parents. As part of the donor process, prospective donors come in
for:
- A physical
- Lab work
- Discussion of their
medical history
Donation Process
If it’s safe for a prospective donor to donate,
we’ll use medication over the course of four days to stimulate the donor’s bone
marrow. On day four, we attach two IVs to the donor’s arms and remove stem
cells using a pheresis machine. The procedure lasts four hours, and one to two
sessions are usually required to collect the necessary bone marrow. There are
no long-term side effects from the procedure.
