Making the world a better place...

[moshker]

If you belong in one of these groups:
* Black or African American
* American Indian or Alaska Native
* Asian
* Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
* Hispanic or Latino
* Mixed heritage

Please consider joining the National Marrow Donor Program. If you can't afford the screening process ($75) I'd be glad to sponsor you

Comments

[ravenmanifesto]

What kind of health condition do you have to be in? I'm 'healthy' but have one outstanding 'trait' and have two blood disorders (anemia, hypoglycemia).

[moshker]

http://www.psbc.org/programs/marrow_guidelines.htm

They have a health questionnaire to establish eligibility. Their list above doesn't have anemia or hypoglycemia on it.

[uberbeth]

Anemia might not be specifically listed, but for any standard donation, you must have a HCL of 38 to donate.

I'm not anemic but have a hard time getting my iron up high enough to donate. I take iron supplements and eat red meat, liver, and spinach to boost it.

I do whole blood and platlets pretty often, and would like to get on the Marrow list, even though I'm pretty useless as 50/50 English/German.

[ravenmanifesto]

Thanks, the specific HCL number helps, I'll check it out when I go in for my next blood checkup. I think spinach is now technically out with regards to iron, a couple nutrition majors were talking to me about it a while ago--I think it had something to do with other high-concentration minerals inhibiting the iron absorbtion. How high is your iron supplement?

Donation

[moshker]

I think you get the iron back using the less invasive marrow donation method, so this might not be true. You'd have to check with the screeners to be sure.

[dlowber]

Better than having AIDS I suppose. I hear they frown on that at the blood bank these days.