Indeed, although it appears that you can somehow initiate the process of registering for the British Bone Marrow Registry at your next blood donation.
I am going to inquire when I go for my next one.
Anthony Nolan programme's age cutoff is 40 years old, which rules me out.
However, the British Bone Marrow Registry appears to accept potential donors up to & including 49 years of age - if otherwise eligible, I might just squeak in on that one.
Just bumping this again...as previously explained, if you are under 40 years old, you can get on the Anthony Nolan register
here. But their age cutoff for registration is 40 years old. It's great if you are young enough for that one because it's as simple as sending a spit sample back through the post to them!
On the other hand, if you're an 'old timer' between ages 40-49 like me
and you're
also a blood donor as well, you're not too old to still get on the
British Bone Marrow Registry (BBMR).
They will take you for registration up to and including age 49 - you just need to be registered before your 50th birthday comes.Both DH and I did this on Wednesday night, during our regular blood donation. When we turned up to do that, we told them that we also wanted to get on the BBMR. Prior to our blood donation, they gave us a little BBMR booklet to read and then we filled out a form with our details & signed it. They took an extra blood sample from us during our donation that was sent off for the DNA tissue typing process & all that. Eventually, we will receive a letter confirming that we are on the register, and
then our details will stay on it (unless we ask that they be removed or unless we have some medical reason arise that they would need to be removed)
until we are age 60.
Donating blood and donating marrow are two different things?
The process is not terribly different, however. The most commonly used method of marrow (really stem cell) donation today is much like donating plasma. At first, I was a little bit afraid about getting on the register because I worried that it would mean definitely going under general anesthesia for making the donation - my SIL did that as a donor for her brother about 10-odd years ago (in the US).
While that is still used in some instances, most of the marrow donations now are done at a place like (or same as?) a blood donation centre with a process much like they administer for plasma donation. You have a tube hooked up to one arm that takes some of your blood out, stem cells (what you are really donating) are harvested off, then the rest of your bloody stuff is put back into your body via your other arm. For several days before donation, you will be given injections to increase your body's production of stem cells so that your blood will be very rich with stem cells at the time of donation. Fascinating!
Anyway, both DH & I will be on the register now. We may never hear anything, but if we are selected as a match for someone who needs it - we'll be there!
