Many people have asked me if the office I work in handles bone marrow transplants and unfortunately the answer is no- we do organ and tissue donors & transplants. But I have been able to put together some information about bone marrow transplants (BMT) for those of you who have questions. This can get a little complicated and I’m going to try to explain it the best I can, in as basic terms as I can, so bear with me.
The best news I have is that you do not need to have the same blood type as Grandpa (that’s what he is to me so that’s how I will be referring to him here) to be a bone marrow donor. That said, it is highly unlikely that any of us (children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren) will be compatible matches. Siblings are likely to be the best matches, but another relative matching wouldn’t be unheard of. Now for the not-so-exciting part; a bone marrow donor needs to match exactly 10 specific human leukocyte antigens (HLA). An HLA is one of a group of proteins found on the surface of white blood cells and other cells that play an important part in the body's immune response to foreign substances. Let me give you an example: in organ donation, when we match kidneys to recipients, we look at certain HLAs. If a donor and recipient match the 6 antigens that we look at, we call it a “perfect match” or “zero mismatch”. It is not necessary in kidney donation for all 6 antigens to match in all cases in order for the body not to reject that kidney (through the use of medications and the knowledge of which antigens are compatible with other antigens and such). The majority of organ transplants are not perfect matches. So, as you can see, finding a donor who has all 10 matching antigens is going to be quite a feat…but NOT IMPOSSIBLE!
I’m not sure how Grandpa’s doctors plan to go about testing as I am never there when the doctors come in because (knowing me and my outspoken personality) I’d be all over them like white on rice. I’d like to find out how many family members can be tested by the insurance & what criteria they need to meet before testing could even be started. I wonder if any of the family members, who wish to, could be tested at their own expense if the insurance will not cover it. I suggest none of this be done until Spence & Lois Fay are tested because the doctors believe they are the best chances. After that I believe that anyone in the family who wants to be considered should be able to in some way or another. We just need to discover how to go about doing that.
There is a national bone marrow registry that you can join to be a donor for anyone nationally who needs a transplant. This will be where they find a donor for Grandpa if one isn’t found in the family. The way you join this registry is by logging online or calling on the phone and paying for a test kit. The test kit costs $52 and is sent to your home. Currently it is a cheek swab that you can do yourself, you send it back in and they are able to determine your HLA type & put you on the registry. Should your HLA match someone in need (like Grandpa) you will be called and further evaluation will be done. 10 years ago when I joined the registry it cost $30 and a vial of blood to join so times have changed but the cheek swab at home is so much more convenient. The website www.marrow.org has a ton of great information about bone marrow donation and is also where the registry is kept if you want more information about it. If any of you have specific questions about any of what I have presented here, feel free to email me at jamienewman79
If you match the tissue type of a patient seeking a donor, additional testing will confirm the results. You will meet with donor counselors at the Blood Center who will help you make an informed decision about donating your blood stem cells.
The marrow collection process usually does not require an overnight stay in the hospital. The procedure itself is painless, because it is performed under anesthesia. But, for an average of two weeks following the procedure, most donors experience sore hips and some must restrict their activities. Even with some soreness, most donors report that donating marrow is a very positive experience and that they would be willing to donate again.
The donated marrow is transfused to the patient, whose diseased cells have been destroyed by intensive chemotherapy. In time, the donated marrow engrafts and begins producing healthy blood cells.
Don't forget to look at the new picture of dad below. Have a wonderful day!!
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