Blood
Bone Marrow
Cord Blood
Living organ donation


Donating Blood (from www.aabb.org): "A blood donation truly is a “gift of life” that a healthy individual can give to others in their community who are sick or injured. In one hour’s time, a person can donate one unit of blood that can be separated into four individual components that could help save multiple lives. From one unit of blood, red blood cells can be extracted for use in trauma or surgical patients. Plasma, the liquid part of blood, is administered to patients with clotting problems. The third component of blood, platelets, clot the blood when cuts or other open wounds occur, and are often used in cancer and transplant patients. Cryoprecipitated anti-hemophilic factor (AHF) is also used for clotting factors. In a recent study …(r)espondants said that giving blood makes them feel good about themselves; supports their local communities and hospitals; supports their community culture; and “pays back” society for the times when they or their families have needed blood transfusions in the past. To find out more about where to donate blood locally, use AABB’s locator."

Donating bone marrow (from www.marrow.org): "At the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), we’re working to provide hope and deliver a cure to all patients in need of a life-saving transplant by: 1. Recruiting and supporting donors: To connect patients with donors, we manage the largest and most diverse registry — more than 6 million marrow donors and 60,000 cord blood units. Donors can turn to our Donor Advocacy Program for support throughout the donation process. 2. Supporting patients: To help patients access treatment, we offer financial support and educational resources. 3. Educating doctors: Referring physicians can turn to us for information about transplant advances, caring for transplant patients and the importance of timely referral for transplant. 4. Advancing science: Our research programs have advanced the science of bone marrow and cord blood transplant, from better matching the right donor to the right patient to improving post-transplant treatment."

Donating cord blood (from www.cordblooddonor.com): "Cord blood stem cells, found in your baby’s umbilical cord blood, can be used to treat a host of serious illnesses for mothers, babies and possibly family members. Essentially, every parent faces the same three choices at birth with regard to what they should do with their baby’s cord blood: using public donation, private family banking, discarding."

Living organ donation: Living donors may give a kidney, a liver lobe or a lung lobe to another. All transplant centers who perform organ specific transplants also evaluate the living donor potential of friends and family members of the patients on that center’s waiting list. If medical suitability and willingness is determined, then the donation and transplant takes place at that center.