Maybe a little, but you are saving someone's life! There are two ways to donate: 

Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSC) Donation: The majority of donations are done through a simple blood donation process. Cells are collected via the bloodstream. On the day of collection your blood is removed with a sterile needle from one arm and passed through an aphaeresis machine that separates out the blood stem cells. The remaining blood is returned through the other arm.  The procedure takes 6-8 hours and is not painful.

Bone Marrow Donation: Marrow cells are collected from the back of the pelvic bone (not the spine) using a special syringe. This is a 1-2 hour surgical outpatient procedure that takes place at a hospital. You will receive anesthesia and feel no pain during the donation. Marrow donors can expect to feel some soreness in their lower back for a few days following the donation. Most marrow donors report that they feel completely recovered within 2-3 weeks of donation.

Thousands of patients with leukemia and other life-threatening diseases need matching donors so they can have a chance at life. Patients need donors who are a close genetic match. Even with a registry of millions, 6 out of 10 patients NEVER receive the lifesaving transplant they need. Donors of all ethnicities are needed!

If you have already registered as a bone marrow donor, you do not need to register again.

A bone marrow transplant is a lifesaving treatment for people with leukemia, lymphoma and many other diseases. First, patients undergo chemotherapy and sometimes radiation to destroy their diseased marrow. Then a donor's healthy blood-forming stem cells are transfused directly into the patient's bloodstream. The stem cells find their way inside the bones and reboot the patient's immune system. 

The first step to becoming a bone marrow donor is to register. In order to join the registry all you need to do is fill out an information/consent form and swab the inside of your cheeks. Donors must be between the ages of 18 and 55, must meet the medical eligibility guidelines and be willing donate.

When you register as a bone marrow donor, you make a commitment to be listed on the Be The Match Registry® until your 61st birthday, unless you ask to be removed from the registry.  You can always refuse to donate if you are a match, but there is nothing worse than a patient believing they have a Hero but not actually receiving a donation. 

We require volunteer bone marrow donors to be between the ages of 18 and 55, which is standard medical practice. An individual must be 18 to donate because the person must be legally able to give informed consent.

The age limit is not meant to discriminate. We must use chronological age to determine eligibility to protect the safety of the donor and provide the best possible treatment for the patient.

We cannot predict the likelihood because there is so much diversity in the population. Every person who joins the registry gives patients hope, and new patient searches begin every day. You may never be identified as a match for someone, or you might be one of a number of potential matches. But you may also be the only person on the registry to match a patient in need.

Cheek cells are collected with a cotton swab upon registering. Then, the sample is tested for markers called HLA and added anonymously to the Be The Match Registry®. Doctors can search the database for a donor that has the same HLA markers as a patient.

Ethnicity and heritage are very important factors. Patients are most likely to match someone of similar ethnicity or heritage. Potential donors with diverse ethnic heritage are severely lacking on the registry. Adding more ethnically diverse members increases the likelihood that all patients will find a lifesaving match.

When you sign-up as a bone marrow donor, you make a commitment to consider donating to any searching patient you might match. Donation is voluntary so you are never under any legal obligation to donate, and your decision is always respected. However, because a late decision not to donate can be life-threatening to a patient, you should only join the registry if you are prepared to donate to a patient in need.