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Blood Product, Cord, and Marrow Donation Information
FLORIDA BLOOD SERVICES IN CRITICALLY NEEDING YOUR BLOOD
Please visit their site and see the Blood Mobile Schedule for when they will be in your area.
Blood is a critical need for many people fighting life threatening situations. Car accidents, burn victims, cancer patients, surgical patients, etc. are in need of blood at many given times.
They rely on donors, like you, to keep the blood supply up to date.
The best thing we can do is schedule a regular time to go donate blood on a regular basis. Your body replenishes the blood or blood products you donate.
While you are there, let them know you would like to register as a potential marrow donor.
It is best if this is done by the beginning of your third trimester (around your 6 months). **~~
What is marrow and the process for donating?
ABCs of Marrow or Blood Cell Donation (from www.bethematch.org)
What is a marrow or blood cell transplant?
A marrow or blood cell transplant is a potentially life-saving treatment for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood diseases. A transplant replaces a patient's unhealthy blood cells with healthy blood-forming cells from a volunteer donor. Patients who do not have a matched donor in their family may search the NMDP donor Registry for a donor. The three sources of blood-forming cells are marrow, blood-forming cells collected from the blood (called a PBSC donation) and umbilical cord blood.
How are patients matched with donors?
Blood samples from adult donors or cord blood units are tested, and the tissue type is added to the NMDP Registry. Doctors can search this Registry when they need to find a donor whose tissue type matches their patient's.
Step 1: HLA Typing
Patients are matched with stem cell donors or cord blood units by comparing their HLA tissue types. HLA is the name given to the system used to identify the unique markers (antigens) that the immune system recognizes. These unique markers are found on virtually all cells in the body, including white blood cells. In a stem cell transplant, six HLA antigens are considered most important for matching: two A antigens, two B antigens and two DR antigens.
HLA type is inherited through the genes passed down from parents. The genes are linked together in strands of three: three antigens from the mother and three from the father. To determine a person's HLA type, the white blood cells are isolated from a blood sample and testing is performed to identify which HLA markers are present.
Step 2: Donor Typing
Serologic typing was the only method available for HLA tissue typing just a few years ago. Therefore, many potential donors are listed with serologic A, B and DR typing. Currently, about 50 percent of the four million potential stem cell donors listed on the NMDP Registry have been tested for all six antigens. Today, the NMDP uses molecular methods for all DR typing. The goal is to use molecular typing for new volunteers joining the Registry. Cord blood units are typed at all six antigens by molecular typing.
Step 3: Patient Typing
Molecular typing enables a more accurate HLA typing than serologic methods. It is important for physicians to perform molecular typing, rather than serologic typing, for patients. Molecular typing for donors and patients allows the NMDP to more quickly and accurately identify matches.
Step 4: Matching Patient and Donor Antigens
The NMDP compares the patient's HLA antigens to the donors' HLA antigens. Based on the comparisons, donors with the same or similar antigens as the patient are selected. Matches can occur in a variety of ways depending on the specificities of their HLA typing. The list of known HLA specificities is always changing as researchers use new technology to identify and define new antigens. More detailed typing for either the donor or patient may be requested to determine specific matches.
How does a person's race or ethnicity affect matching?
Because tissue type is inherited, patients are most likely to match someone of their same race and ethnicity. There is a special need to recruit more donors who identify themselves as: Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latino.
How are blood-forming cells collected?
Marrow donation is a surgical procedure performed in a hospital. While the donor receives anesthesia, doctors use special, hollow needles to withdraw liquid marrow from the donor's pelvic bones. Many donors receive a transfusion of their own previously donated blood. A donor's marrow is completely replaced within four to six weeks.
PBSC donation takes place at an apheresis center. To increase the number of blood-forming cells in the bloodstream, donors receive daily injections of a drug called filgrastim for five days before the collection. The donor's blood is then removed through a sterile needle in one arm, passed through a machine that separates out the cells used in transplantation, and the remaining blood is returned through the other arm.
Cord blood is collected from the umbilical cord after a baby's birth. The cord blood is taken to a cord blood bank where it is tested. Cord blood units that meet eligibility standards are frozen and stored for future use. The collection does not pose any health risk to the mother or baby, and does not affect the birth process in any way.
Does donating hurt? What are the side effects?
Marrow donors can expect to feel some soreness in their lower back for a few days or longer. Donors also have reported feeling tired and having some difficulty walking. Most donors are back to their usual routine in a few days. Some may take two to three weeks before they feel completely recovered.
PBSC donors report varying symptoms including headache, bone or muscle pain, nausea, insomnia and fatigue while receiving injections of filgrastim. These effects disappear shortly after collection. During the collection, donors may experience a tingling feeling or chills. These effects go away shortly after donating. When asked about their discomfort, most donors are quick to point out that it was worth it to help save a life, and they would be willing to do it again.
How does a patient receive a transplant?
After a patient undergoes chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment to destroy their diseased marrow, the healthy donor cells are given directly into the patient's bloodstream. The cells travel to the marrow, where they begin to function and multiply.
How does a person become a volunteer donor?
Potential donors must be between the ages of 18 and 60 years old and meet health guidelines. A small blood sample is taken and tested to determine the donor's tissue type. Potential donors also complete a brief health questionnaire and sign a consent form to have their tissue type listed on the Registry.
HOW TO DONATE YOUR BABY'S UMBILICAL CORD
Anyone interested in donating their umbilical cord, can do so by contacting the
National Marrow Donor Program directly at 1-800-MARROW-2. They will put you in touch with the nearest collecting facility. It is best if this is done by the beginning of your third trimester(around your 6 months)
Why Donate A Baby's Umbilical Cord Blood?
Each year thousands of patients are diagnosed with life-threatening diseases that can be treated by rebuilding the patient's hematopoietic (blood cell producing) system with blood-forming cells. Umbilical cord blood is being studied as one of the sources of blood cells.
Donating cord blood is medically safe. The cord blood is collected from the umbilical cord after your baby is born. Donation does not change the birth process.
The umbilical cord and placenta are usually thrown away after a baby is born.
Donating cord blood is free to you and completely confidential.
The blood in the umbilical cord and placenta is unique because it contains large numbers of blood-forming cells. The blood-forming cells from cord blood are being studied under research protocols as a new method for treating patients with life-threatening diseases. Blood-forming cells to treat these patients can come from donated bone marrow or peripheral (circulating) blood or cord blood. Although some patients have a family member who can donate cells, nearly 75% of patients will not find a matching donor in their family. Cord blood donations can give more patients hope of finding a match.
A Special Need for Diversity
Marrow and cord blood transplants (also called BMT) require matching certain tissue traits of the donor and patient. Because these traits are inherited, a patient's most likely match is someone of the same heritage. American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Black and African American, Hispanic and Latino, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and multiple-race patients face a greater challenge in finding matched donors or cord blood than White patients.
Patients' Chances of Finding a Match Are Improving
The NMDP is committed to supporting the communities it serves. Through ongoing initiatives to increase the diversity of their cord blood listings, NMDP cord blood banks are working to raise awareness and recruit more cord blood donors in their communities. The NMDP has made great strides. From 2001 to 2005, the likelihood of finding a suitably matched cord blood unit has grown at least twofold for patients from all racial and ethnic groups.
The Need Remains
Even with more than 40,000 cord blood units listed, some patients are unable to find a match because of the rarity of their tissue traits. Some tissue traits are more likely to be found among people of a particular racial or ethnic heritage. That is why a pressing need remains for more cord blood donations from American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Black and African American, Hispanic and Latino, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and multiple-race women.
How to Donate
Any woman who is at least 18 years old (16 in some locations), in general good health and who lives in a community where cord blood donation is available may be able to donate her baby's cord blood. If you would like to donate your baby's cord blood, look for a participating hospital near you. Because cord blood donation is still a growing field, not all hospitals are prepared to receive a donation at this time.
Contact your cord blood bank before you deliver, ideally by your 34th week of pregnancy. The cord blood bank will ask you to:
*Complete a consent form agreeing to donate your baby's cord blood.
*Complete a maternal and family health history form to confirm you meet health eligibility guidelines.
*Give a small blood sample for infectious disease testing. You generally complete these steps before your baby's birth, though timing can vary depending on your cord blood bank.
After your baby's birth, the umbilical cord blood is collected. The donated cord blood is frozen and stored at the cord blood bank for future use. Doctors all over the world search the National Marrow Donor Program Registry of donors and cord blood units to find a match for their patients who need a transplant. If selected, the cord blood is transplanted to a matching patient.
Cord Blood Donor Foundation
Cord:USE Public Donation Cord Blood Bank
Save The Cord Foundation
Cord Blood Donation is Different from Private Storage
When you donate your baby's umbilical cord blood:
It is available to any patient in need of a transplant. If it does not meet the criteria for transplant, it may be used by researchers in the search for new and more effective medical uses for cord blood stem cells. It is not reserved for your family's private use. Donating umbilical cord blood is free. Public cord blood banks cover the cost of processing and storing your baby's donated cord blood.
For more information, CLICK HERE
There are also private cord banks that will store your baby's cord blood for your family's own use. If you choose to store your baby's cord blood for your family's private use, the private storage cord blood bank may charge you for this service. Before deciding to donate your baby's cord blood, be sure you understand the difference between donating the cord blood and storing it for your own use.
KATIA SOLOMON FOUNDATION
PO BOX 22375
TAMPA, FLORIDA 33622
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