So, what's this all about?

(the short version)

Every year, 30,000 people in the US need bone marrow transplants due to life-threatening illnesses such as leukemia (cancer of the blood). In these patients, their blood-cell generating organ, the bone marrow, does not function properly anymore, so they will eventually die. They need a little of another person's bone marrow so they can start making blood-cells properly again. The trick is to make sure the new blood-cells from the donor's bone marrow work peacefully with the recipient's body. To do so, the two people's tissue types (not to be confused with blood type) must be very similar. The more people registered in the national database, the more likely a patient in need can find a suitable match.

About 75-80% of needy caucasians can find a donor, while less than 70% of minorities can find a donor. Thus, the current emphasis is on minorities to be registered. The tissue type test (done with two tablespoons of your blood) is free for minorities, and $40-$90 for caucasians. The fee for minorities is covered by the National Marrow Donor Program. While volunteering for a marrow registration drive, I spoke with many caucasians who did not mind paying the $43 dollars for the tissue type test. Most of them knew someone who had leukemia and had been wanting to become registered for a while.

Okay. Time for a test.

If you had to save a life, which would you rather do?
(a) Dive into 5-foot waves to save a person from drowning.
(B) Take a break from work to donate bone marrow.
(c) Jump in front of a person being shot.
hint: click here

If you have any general questions, please feel free to email Jermaine Stephens (jms@umich.edu, 763-1992). If this web page is not working, please contact Jeff. Last updated 4/12/98.