The bone marrow It is the spongy tissue that is located inside the flat bones and is responsible for producing and containing hematopoietic progenitors, the stem cells of all blood cells. Uncontrolled growth or poor functioning of any of them causes various diseases such as bone marrow failure, immunodeficiencies and leukemias.
70% of patients do not have a compatible family member
Bone marrow transplant allows the cure of these diseases by replacing the defective cells with normal ones, coming from a healthy donor. The transplant can only be carried out if there is a healthy donor who has a high degree of compatibility with the patient, normally a family member.
But approximately 70 percent of patients who require a bone marrow transplant do not have a compatible relative and they can only be cured if an unrelated donor is located in international registries that contain millions of potential altruistic voluntary donors.
To donate bone marrow you must be between 18 and 55 years old
Bone marrow donation can be carried out by any healthy person who wishes, with an age between between 18 and 55 years old. Whether you donate or not will decide whether you are compatible with one of the many patients around the world who are now and will be in the future in the process of searching for an unrelated hematopoietic progenitor donor.
exist two procedures to donate hematopoietic progenitors, which are the following:
- By puncture through the posterior iliac crests.
- Through a machine that extracts blood from the parents.
Both procedures are safe and anesthesia measures are adopted or analgesia suitable. The inconvenience they cause is totally compensated by the satisfaction that the patient is being given a second chance.