November is upon us. Other than being the height of fall and the month that holds everyone’s favorite family gathering (Thanksgiving), it’s also National Marrow Awareness Month. But what does that mean for you? A lot, actually. Blood cancer is the cause of death for more children in the U.S. than any other disease. It’s even the third leading cause of cancer deaths overall in U.S. Patients who were diagnosed. And it’s especially important for African Americans to donate because we have the most diverse combinations of HLA (protein markers that help match patients and donors) because the match is usually found in someone of the same ethnic background. But the black community has a particularly tough time attracting donors. So what can you do? Here’s some education to help you ignore the silly myths that come along with donating.
BELOW WE’VE OUTLINED THE TOP 10 MYTHS GOING AROUND ABOUT BONE MARROW DONATION — AND THE TRUTH BEHIND THEM.
1. IT’S REALLY PAINFUL
Most donors say they experience at most some mild discomfort during the PBSC procedure when IVs are put in, and a feeling similar to falling on your behind while ice skating after the surgical procedure.
2. THERE WILL BE (EXTENSIVE) SURGERY
There are two donation methods, one surgical and one intravenous – called the peripheral blood stem cell procedure (PBSC) or apheresis. Nearly 80 percent of donations are done through the apheresis method, not requiring any type of surgery. Both of these are outpatient procedures done within hours.
3. IT’S EASY TO FIND A MATCH – IF I DON’T DO IT, SOMEONE ELSE WILL
Unlike blood donations where there are a handful of possible donor types, the variety of tissue typing required for a potential bone marrow donor to match a patient is almost infinite. A patient finding a match, especially a patient of non-Caucasian ancestry, is extremely special. You might be someone’s only hope.
4. I CAN ONLY DONATE TO A FAMILY MEMBER AND NO ONE IN MY FAMILY NEEDS IT
When you register as a potential donor, you are listed on the national registry for any patient looking for a matching donor to search and match you. You must be willing to donate to any patient in need of a transplant.
5. I’LL HAVE TO PAY MEDICAL EXPENSES
All travel and medical costs incurred by the donor for the donation procedure and pre-care/preparation leading up to it, including travel costs, are paid or reimbursed by Delete Blood Cancer. There is no cost to the donor.
6. IT’S TOO COMPLICATED TO REGISTER
Registration is simple and involves completing a registration form and swabbing the inside of each cheek for 20 seconds.
7. THEY’RE TAKING MY BONES!
The only thing extracted during either donation procedure is the marrow or blood stem cells. On the flip side, potential transplant recipients DO undergo bone marrow biopsies in which a piece of bone is removed.
8. I CAN ONLY DONATE ONCE I DIE
Giving bone marrow is a living donation. Marrow, unlike some organ donations, is not taken after death and donors return to their regular lives after completing a donation.
9. I DON’T WANT TO REDUCE MY MARROW LEVELS
Bone marrow regenerates to its regular levels within a few weeks, so donating bone marrow is really giving something that you are in abundance of to someone whose body does not currently have the ability to produce it.
10. BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTS ARE ONLY FOR LEUKEMIA AND LYMPHOMA PATIENTS
While leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma (blood cancers) are some of the most well-known diseases that can be treated with a bone marrow transplant, a host of other blood diseases and disorders can be cured or treated by a transplant as well. These include severe types of anemia, sickle cell disease, certain solid tumors and more.
NOTE: Sickle cell disease affects people of African ancestry at much higher rates than those of other ethnic backgrounds.
NOW THAT YOU KNOW THE TRUTH — DONATION SEEMS LIKE A NO-BRAINER, RIGHT? WE AGREE!
CLICK HERE TO SEE IF YOU QUALIFY AS A DONOR AND TELL THE WORLD WHY YOU’RE UNIQUE
**This post was created in partnership with Delete Blood Cancer to raise awareness on the importance of Bone Marrow donations. Share this article on Facebook to help change the conversation**
