Everything you need to know about stem cell donation, the registry, and how a simple swab could save someone's life.
Some existing health conditions may risk your health and the health of the patient. You cannot register if you have ever had any of the following:
If you have none of the above conditions, you may be eligible to register. When in doubt, register anyway — the registry will perform additional screening and let you know if there are any concerns.
Blood stem cells are immature cells that can develop into all the different cells present in the bloodstream—including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. They originate from peripheral blood, bone marrow, or umbilical cord blood (not embryos). Patients who need stem cell transplants have bone marrow that has failed and cannot produce healthy stem cells on its own.
Bone marrow is the soft tissue inside your bones that functions as a factory, producing blood-forming stem cells. When diseases like leukemia or MPN (like Daphne has) prevent the body from producing healthy stem cells, a transplant becomes the best treatment option.
Stem cell transplants replace unhealthy stem cells with healthy donor cells. The donated cells can come from peripheral blood, bone marrow, or umbilical cord blood. Transplant physicians select the type based on donor availability, patient prognosis, physical characteristics, ages, and urgency. A specially trained courier hand-delivers the donated stem cells from the collection centre to the transplant hospital.
The registry recruits volunteer donors for patients needing transplants. It belongs to an international network spanning 80+ countries with over 40 million donors worldwide, operating under World Marrow Donor Association standards. When you join, your information becomes searchable by transplant centers around the world looking for matches for their patients.
Matches depend on Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA)—DNA markers on white blood cells that are inherited from parents. Siblings offer the best chance of a match, but only about 25% of patients find a match within their own family. Patients are more likely to find a matching donor among those who share their ethnic ancestry, which is why building a diverse registry is so essential.
Transplant physicians around the world tend to select younger donors to achieve better transplant outcomes. Research shows that younger donors reduce complications like graft-versus-host disease. Once registered, you remain on the registry until age 60, maximizing the time you can potentially help someone.
Unfortunately, no. Even with millions of potential donors listed on registries around the world, matches may be impossible for patients with uncommon HLA markers. This is exactly why every new registration matters—you could be the only match for someone like Daphne.
There are two donation methods:
Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSC) donation (90% of donations): You receive injections of a growth-stimulating medication over four days, followed by apheresis—a non-surgical, four-to-six-hour outpatient procedure where blood is drawn, stem cells are collected, and the remaining blood is returned to your body.
Bone marrow donation (10% of donations): A surgical procedure performed under anesthesia where marrow is withdrawn from the pelvic bones. It typically lasts 45-90 minutes.
No, it's completely free. Registration costs nothing, and all testing and donation procedures are covered. If you're called as a donor, travel, food, accommodation, and other costs are covered for you. Some wages and companion costs may also be covered.
The process involves four steps: (1) The transplant team submits a search request to the registry, (2) The registry provides a list of potential donors, (3) The registry contacts identified donors, and (4) Eligible donors complete health screening and additional blood testing. After your swab sample is processed, you'll receive notification that you're searchable in the system.
Not really. For peripheral blood donation (the most common method), you may experience mild discomfort including feeling light-headed, nauseous, or cold during the procedure. For bone marrow donation, you're under general anesthesia during collection, so you won't feel anything. Afterward, there may be mild-to-moderate soreness, bruising, and aching that lasts a few days to a couple of weeks.
Recovery is quick. Peripheral blood donors often return to work the day after, experiencing only fatigue, bruising, or lower back pain. Some may have headaches, bone pain, or nausea lasting a few days to a week. Your body replaces the donated stem cells within six weeks, and most donors resume normal routines within just a few days.
No, this is a common myth. For bone marrow donation, cells are collected from the iliac crest (pelvic bone), not the spine. For peripheral blood donation, stem cells are taken from a blood draw with a needle in the arm using a non-surgical procedure called apheresis. Your spinal cord is never involved.
No. Your body naturally replaces the donated blood stem cells within about six weeks. Most donors feel back to normal within days of donating and experience no long-term effects.
Outcomes depend on several factors: the quality of the donor-patient match, the type and stage of disease, the patient's overall health and age, and the donor's age and cell quantity. While there are no guarantees, transplants offer patients the best hope of returning to good health.
Privacy restrictions prevent direct communication for at least one year after donation. After that year has passed, if both the donor and patient consent in writing, direct communication may be permitted. Some transplant centers require longer waiting periods or don't allow contact at all, but many donors and recipients do eventually connect and form meaningful relationships.
Joining the registry takes just 5 minutes. A free swab kit ships right to your door.