Will people soon be paid for bone marrow donation?”
LOS ANGELES (CN) — People suffering from leukemia, anemia and other diseases that can be treated with bone marrow transplants should be allowed to receive transplanted cells from donors who are paid for it, patients, doctors, and parents of sick children say in Federal Court. Transplant cells for minority groups are particularly needed, yet “providing a $3,000 scholarship for a Hispanic college student for donating bone marrow is a major federal crime,” the complaint states. Dr. John Wagner, a bone marrow transplant specialist, and MoreMarrowDonors.org sued Attorney General Eric Holder on behalf of a program that would pay bone marrow donors who register with the national registry and donate cells. The plaintiffs want compensation to be allowed in any of three forms: a $3,000 scholarship, a housing allowance, or a donation to a charity of the donor’s choice. MoreMarrowDonors.org’s plan to offer strategic compensation to minority
