Whats Involved in Being a Bone Marrow Donor?
Years ago, donating bone marrow was a complicated procedure, and donors had to undergo a full-fledged operation. But today it’s almost as simple as giving blood. So if you are Jewish, between the ages of 18-55 and in good medical health, you can help save another person’s life by becoming a bone marrow donor. What happens when you arrive at the site? You’ll be asked to roll up you sleeve and then a medical technician will take a small sample of blood. The results will be registered in the Ezer Mizion Bone Marrow Data Registry. Most people will never be contacted further, but what happens if your name pops up as a potential matching donor for a cancer patient? During the actual procedure, your arms will be hooked up to a Leucopherises machine, an apparatus that takes blood from one arm, separates the stem cells from the blood and then returns the blood to your other arm. The procedure takes a few hours and is spread out over a two-day period. Please note that if you registered with anot
