Become a Blood Stem Cell Donor
We save lives. And so can you.
Every 3-4 minutes, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with blood cancer.
Thousands of patients with blood cancers—like leukemia and lymphoma—and other diseases need a blood stem cell transplant to survive. Most patients don’t have a fully matched donor in their family, which is when they turn to the NMDP RegistrySM in search of an unrelated donor.
That's why donors like you are needed. When you swab your cheeks and join the registry, your genetic type will be included in the search process for every patient in need of a blood stem cell donor
Things to know before you join:
- It costs you nothing to join or donate.
- Your privacy and confidentiality are protected.
- You’re committing to donating to any patient in need.
- You may be asked to donate one of two ways:
- About 90% of the time, a person's doctor requests a peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation—a non-surgical outpatient procedure similar to donating platelets or plasma.
- About 10% of the time, doctors request marrow—a surgical, outpatient procedure that takes place at a hospital. General or regional anesthesia is always used.
Joining the registry
Your blood stem cells could be the cure for a patient. To join the NMDP Registry, you need to be:
- Between ages 18-40
- A resident of the U.S. or one of its territories or freely associated states
- Able to meet medical guidelines