DID YOU KNOW…
- Bone marrow is a spongy material found in the hollow centers of some bones. Bone Marrow creates Stem cells, which produce three important types of blood cells: red, white and platelets.
- To register as a bone marrow donor, a person swabs the inside of his or her cheek in order to provide the DNA needed to identify if he or she is a bone marrow match for someone.
- 70% of patients in need of a bone marrow transplant do not have a matching donor in their family.
- There are currently almost 1,600 people in the UK waiting for a stem cell transplant and 37,000 worldwide.
- Men aged 18-30 are more likely to be chosen to donate but they currently account for just 12% of donors on the Anthony Nolan register.
- After donation, bone marrow replaces itself within four to six weeks.
- Young people 18-24 years old are the bone marrow donors needed most.
- Donating bone marrow can occur in one of two ways: Blood is taken out of a donor’s arm (like Graeme) or a donor has marrow cells extracted from the hip bone.
- Donors giving from their hip bones are put under anesthesia, and therefore they do not feel pain during the collection procedure.
The Blood Bag Project 