You have the power to save someone’s life, but you don’t need to leap into an icy river or a burning building to do it. All you need is the compassion, kindness and dedication to become someone’s hero on the day you get the call that you are the perfect lifesaving match!

Joining is as simple as spending five minutes to complete a cheek swabbing kit, and returning it in a prepaid envelope. The cheek swabs will go to a laboratory for tissue typing, and that information will be entered in the international registry. Transplant centers can search the registry to find matching donors for their patients. This process, from why donors are needed to cheek swabbing to transplantation is explained within this section of our website, and we always welcome your questions.

AGE MATTERS

In accordance with national guidelines and consistent with the medical needs of the patients, Gift of Life has updated the registration requirements for new donors to fall within the ages of 18 to 35 (inclusive). This is due to clinical reasons that improve transplant outcomes. Statistically, over 85 percent of transplants take place with donors in this age category. 

Donors who are between the ages of 36 to 60 (inclusive) may still join the registry but will either need to cover the $60 cost of the test or be placed in the queue for processing after the donors in the other category are tested. Unfortunately, neither the government nor insurance covers the cost of testing new donors to grow the registry; recruitment must be conducted with the greatest  effectiveness to meet the needs of the patients. All donors will remain in the registry until their 61st birthday unless medically deferred or withdrawn by request.

WHO THIS WILL HELP

Conditions that can be treated by transplantation include:

• Bone marrow diseases: Amegakaryocytosis/congenital thrombocytopenia, Fanconi anemia, Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), Pure red cell aplasia, Severe aplastic anemia.
   
• Familial erythrophagocythic lymphohistiocytosis and other histiocytic disorders.
   
• Hemoglobinopathies: Beta Thalassemia Major and Sickle Cell Disease.
   
• Inherited Immune System Disorders: Severe combined immunodeficiency and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome.
   
• Inherited Metabolic Disorders: Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), Hurler Syndrome (MPS-IH), Krabbe Disease (GLD), and Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD).
   
• Leukemias and lymphomas: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML), Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML), Hodgkin’s (HL) and Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL), and Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia.
   
• Myelodysplastic syndromes including myeloproliferative disorders.
   
• Multiple myeloma and plasma cell disorders.

• Some other cancers and malignant diseases.

PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING TODAY! For any questions, please contact me at lperez62@fordham.edu