Would you donate your bone marrow? :)
-
Leukemia is a major killer of children within the age group of 0-15 and a bone marrow transplant offers the only hope of a cure for many leukemia patients. However, the odds of matching a patient with his or her siblings are 1 in 4 and for those without a sibling donor, the chances of finding an unrelated match are 1 in 20,000.
Since its setup in 1993, the BMDP has some 40,000 donors in the Register, facilitated 8,000 searches and found 125 successful matches for patients both locally and abroad, to date.
Tissue typing is the first step towards maintaining the Registry. The process of tissue typing is very complex and expensive. Currently, the cost of testing each new donor is S$150 (compared to previous cost of S$300).
As the only bone-marrow donor Register in Singapore, the BMDP is committed to improving the chances of survival for patients with leukemia and other blood-related diseases. Towards this end, BMDP is targeting to expand the Registry further to 50,000 donors by 2008 so as to enhance the probability of finding a compatible match for leukemia patients.
At 5,000 donors a year, the BMDP needs S$750,000 to fund the costs of testing alone or approximately S$2.5 million to achieve our target of 15,000 new donors by 2008. -
Q: ARE THERE ANY RISKS OR SIDE EFFECTS?
A: Other than the remote chance of a reaction to anaesthesia or an infection, the risks to bone marrow harvest are minimal. Donors generally feel no pain during the bone marrow harvest as they are under general anaesthesia. After the procedure, there may be slight discomfort in the lower back lasting a few days, which is much like a muscle ache or similar to pain felt on the tailbone after a fall. With the stem cell harvest, donors might experience some flu-like symptoms, slight bone pain, or a feeling of heaviness during the injections. These discomforts usually disappear soon after the collection is completed.
Read more FAQs on the Bone Marrow Donor Programme website.
A short summary...
All medical expenses will be borne by the bone marrow receiver. You can choose not to go ahead with the donation process if a match is found. Of course, this is highly discouraged. Don't give false hopes. All you need to do to be put on the donor register is to go for a blood test (small prick nia).
Here are the donor centers...
Bone Marrow Donor Programme
Health Sciences Authority 11 Outram Road Singapore 169078
Tel: (65) 6327 1344 Fax: (65) 6327 1279
E-mail: [email protected]
Donations and Fund-raising: [email protected]
National University Hospital
http://www.nuh.com.sg/
Blood Donation Centre
Level 1, Main Building 1
5 Lower Kent Ridge Road
Singapore 119074
Tel: (65) 6772 5356
SGH Haematology Centre
http://www.sgh.com.sg/
Block 7, Level 2
Singapore General Hospital
Tel: (65) 6321 4722 -
how to donate?
painful?
any criteria?
age limits?
weight limits? -
what happens after the operation?
like do u nid to rest in hospital for dunno how long or sth? -
Yes i will!
-
I've pledged mine since the time I was in poly .....
look out for that option next time a blood donation drive comes to your place .... -
Read my edited post.Originally posted by missqi:how to donate?
painful?
any criteria? age limits?
weight limits?
Or you can find out more on the BMDP website.
-
If mine is a match to someone who needs it, why not?
Saving a life is always better losing one...
Imagine the loved ones losing their loved ones...
-
Depend...
-
I think it's really simple... just a small blood test is all that's required of you initially.
If a match is found, all you need to do is bear a little bit of pain for a few days, but you save a life! That's like, a fantastic bargain.
I'm going somewhere in mid-May... if any forumites I know would like to go as well, can PM me. -
I had this vision of saving the life of some grateful beautiful lass by donating my bone marrow to her and living happily ever after when I pledged mine ...
-
Yeah!Originally posted by dork3d:If mine is a match to someone who needs it, why not?
Saving a life is always better losing one...
Imagine the loved ones losing their loved ones... -
Hannor hor... the seed of ur blood flowing in her bloodstream...Originally posted by Fatum:I had this vision of saving the life of some grateful beautiful lass by donating my bone marrow to her and living happily ever after when I pledged mine ... 
-
isn't that such a charming, romantic thought ? ....Originally posted by MooKu:Hannor hor... the seed of ur blood flowing in her bloodstream...
*dreamy ..... -
i will.but not to you
-
I put my bone marrow to the testing liao. but no one wants my bone marrow leh. Maybe I too special liao.
-
Hmmm I don't remember having the bone marrow option when I donated blood leh.
-
not every blood drive will have one ....Originally posted by MooKu:Hmmm I don't remember having the bone marrow option when I donated blood leh. -
ohh okie...Originally posted by Fatum:not every blood drive will have one ....
hmm they should include it every blood drive...
i think not enough people are educated about bone marrow donation...
how come... i remember i used to watch dramas with leukemia-stricken patients and the extraction of bone marrow was always painful and not done under general anaesthesia...
but the website says otherwise. -
Dunno leh....seldom think about this kind of stuff.....
Meat Pao. -
Umm, if you say "yes" here... go down to have a blood test done okie?
-
fuk noes.
-
i would...
wondering... blood type match.. uhh.. who else has blood type XO?
i should go fill in the form
-
Only on condition that all my medical expenses will be covered 100% including any
ill effects caused by that donation thereafter for a period of 10 years.....
Odo depends on who I'm donating to..... I'm afraid I'm not so noble to donate to any Tom, Dick or Harry, Mary, Jane or Lucy.........
-
Not too much of a problem... except that I hate people pricking my finger for blood... I rather they use a syringe...