Credit: National Marrow Donor Program

Attending a Live Bone Marrow & Stem Cell Donor Drive from stacie tamaki on Vimeo.

Joining the registry is easy. Patients need donors who are between the ages of 18 and 60, meet the health guidelines and are willing to donate to any patient in need.

When you come to a donor drive, we will explain what it means to become a donor, help you understand your commitment, answer your questions and help you through the process.

All you need to do is:

• Complete a registration form with contact information, healthy history questions and a signed agreement to join the registry. To help you complete the form, bring along:
  • - Personal identification (such as a driver’s license or passport)
  • - Contact information for two family members or friends who would know how to reach you in the future if your address changes.
• Give either a swab of cheek cells or a blood sample so your tissue type can be tested.

That’s it! Your tissue type is then added to the National Registry. Doctors search our Registry when they need to find a donor for their patients.