# I may be a bone marrow donor! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 11, 2010, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-be-a-bone-marrow-donor/528499 "2010-02-11T00:01:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-be-a-bone-marrow-donor/528499/1 "2010-02-11T00:01:50Z")
I registered for the National Bone Marrow Registry back in '97, in honor of my dear friend, Larry, who had non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and needed a transplant. Well, Larry didn’t make it (RIP) but I signed up anyway in sincere hopes that one day I’d be called. Well, nearly 13 years later, they called! I’m a possible match for a 62 year old female, a complete stranger to me. After a lengthy verbal medical history, they’re going to send off my frozen sample to do further tissue tests to see if I’m a good donor. If I pass that hurdle, they’ll draw blood for a disease screen. And if I pass that, then I’m in like Flynn! So in 12-18 weeks, I may have the opportunity to save someone’s life by giving some stem cells that my body produces with no guidance or directive from me. How cool would that be? ---
**Author:** ![MitzeKatze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ad7895/32.png) [@MitzeKatze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MitzeKatze)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-be-a-bone-marrow-donor/528499/2 "2010-02-11T00:05:59Z")
That is very. very cool. Best of luck to you both. You are doing a wonderful thing. ---
**Author:** ![CutterJohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@CutterJohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CutterJohn)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-be-a-bone-marrow-donor/528499/3 "2010-02-11T00:45:20Z")
Same thing happened to me a while back. Nothing ever came of it though, so either I wasn’t a match, or they pursued a treatment that didn’t require bone marrow. [Here is the link for the thread I started](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=491387). Has some good information in it. ---
**Author:** ![Nightingale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@Nightingale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightingale)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-be-a-bone-marrow-donor/528499/4 "2010-02-11T01:13:54Z")
That’s terrific! I signed up for the registry a few months ago when they were waiving the fee, but I haven’t been called (yet). ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-be-a-bone-marrow-donor/528499/5 "2010-02-11T02:39:57Z")
Yay **PunditLisa** , **CutterJohn** , and **Nightingale**! Y’all have done a great thing! I signed up for the National Marrow Registry in 1989, for the late Allison Atlas ☹ I got a call back for a second test a few years later. No match so far. Still hoping to be helpful … ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-be-a-bone-marrow-donor/528499/6 "2010-02-11T02:45:59Z")
I signed up a few months back. No news yet. ---
**Author:** ![troubledwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@troubledwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troubledwater)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-be-a-bone-marrow-donor/528499/7 "2010-02-11T02:55:01Z")
I registered in the mid-1990s, inspired by the plight of baseball player Rod Carew, who was seeking a match for his Panamanian-Jewish daughter. As a biracial person myself it seemed like the right thing to do. Interestingly, although I am not eligible to donate blood or blood products, I am still eligible to donate bone marrow. And I am jealous of **PunditLisa**. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-be-a-bone-marrow-donor/528499/8 "2010-02-11T03:25:45Z")
> [@Nightingale](#): > > That’s terrific! I signed up for the registry a few months ago when they were waiving the fee, but I haven’t been called (yet). Same here. I hope they call me. IMO, they need to raise enough to waive the fee all the time. Not many people are gonna pay $100 to join. ps. Good luck Lisa, hope it all works out. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-be-a-bone-marrow-donor/528499/9 "2010-02-11T03:36:19Z")
I’ve been on the register for 10+ years. I’ve been contacted once. On that occasion I went through the next level of tests, but the degree of compatibility wasn’t sufficient, so nothing more happened. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-be-a-bone-marrow-donor/528499/10 "2010-02-11T03:39:13Z")
> [@brickbacon](#): > > Same here. I hope they call me. IMO, they need to raise enough to waive the fee all the time. Not many people are gonna pay $100 to join. I donated through [this](https://www.dkmsamericas.org/bone-marrow-donors/become-marrow-donor) organization which asked for a $65 donation to cover the typing costs, but it wasn’t mandatory. That’s cool, Lisa. I hope you’re able to help the person out. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-be-a-bone-marrow-donor/528499/11 "2010-02-11T03:46:22Z")
> [@Ms. Meta](#): > > I registered in the mid-1990s, inspired by the plight of baseball player Rod Carew, who was seeking a match for his Panamanian-Jewish daughter. That’s where I registered! They had a drive at the Mall of America. > [@](#): > > And I am jealous of **PunditLisa**. Me too. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-be-a-bone-marrow-donor/528499/12 "2010-02-11T03:54:58Z")
That’s awesome, **Lisa**! ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-be-a-bone-marrow-donor/528499/13 "2010-02-11T11:40:15Z")
Thanks for the good wishes. I’m crossing my fingers and toes. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-be-a-bone-marrow-donor/528499/14 "2010-02-11T15:11:17Z")
Posting to subscribe, also to say good luck to you and especially to the potential recipient! I too am on the list. I can’t donate blood (RLS patients need to be very protective of their iron levels) but I’ll by golly donate marrow if need be. ---
**Author:** ![Surly\_Chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-be-a-bone-marrow-donor/528499/15 "2010-02-11T16:13:17Z")
> [@Ms. Meta](#): > > Interestingly, although I am not eligible to donate blood or blood products, I am still eligible to donate bone marrow.\*\*. Really? I’m not eligible to donate blood or blood products either (comes from having lived overseas in developing countries and in the UK during the whole mad cow thing) so I assumed I would be ineligible to donate marrow and never persued it. Maybe I should look into it now. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-be-a-bone-marrow-donor/528499/16 "2010-02-11T16:35:10Z")
I signed up many years ago when a couple from our church had a daughter dying of leukemia. I’ve never been called, but maybe someday. I get the newsletter once a year still, so you never know. ---
**Author:** ![Ceejaytee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ceejaytee/32/2956_2.png) [@Ceejaytee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ceejaytee)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-be-a-bone-marrow-donor/528499/17 "2010-02-11T21:21:17Z")
How wonderful! I was going to sign up when they were doing the free thing, but I can’t donate–I take corticosteroids so I’m ineligible, which really sucks. Good luck to you. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-be-a-bone-marrow-donor/528499/18 "2010-02-11T21:59:20Z")
> [@Nightingale](#): > > That’s terrific! I signed up for the registry a few months ago when they were waiving the fee, but I haven’t been called (yet). I did also, and I hope I’m called one day. ---
**Author:** ![troubledwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@troubledwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troubledwater)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-be-a-bone-marrow-donor/528499/19 "2010-02-12T03:07:56Z")
> [@Surly\_Chick](#): > > Really? I’m not eligible to donate blood or blood products either (comes from having lived overseas in developing countries and in the UK during the whole mad cow thing) so I assumed I would be ineligible to donate marrow and never persued it. Maybe I should look into it now. Do look into it. When I was kicked out of the blood donor pool (for the exact same reason as you) the first thing I did was check with the marrow registry. They didn’t have a problem. That was five or six years ago. I hope their guidelines haven’t changed. ---
**Author:** ![troubledwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@troubledwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troubledwater)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-be-a-bone-marrow-donor/528499/20 "2010-02-12T03:27:28Z")
OK, this is from [http://www.marrow.org](http://www.marrow.org) > [@](#): > > You are allowed to register regardless of where you have traveled. If you are selected as a potential donor, recent travel to areas at risk for such infections such as malaria or mad cow disease will be evaluated. So, it is case-by-case I guess. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-be-a-bone-marrow-donor/528499.md?page=2)