Give life to a child
Volunteer bone marrow donors give life to their fellow human beings suffering from leukemia and other hematological diseases. If you are between 18-50 years old and in good health (medical criteria) you can also become a volunteer bone marrow donor.
It is important to point out that your inclusion in the pool of Volunteer Bone Marrow Donors does not mean donating a transplant.
It is necessary to realize that the registration of Greeks in the donor registry is important because due to similarities between ethnic groups, it is much more likely to find a compatible donor for a patient of Greek origin in the Greek donor pool. It has been calculated with statistical models that a country with approximately 10,000,000 ethnic groups, such as Greece, could ensure a probability of finding a compatible donor for a patient of the order of 60-80% in its own pool, if it had approximately 150,000 registered volunteer donors. For this reason, it is crucial to increase the number of Greek volunteer donors, which currently stands at less than 45,000.
Laboratory analysis (HLA typing) of each donor’s blood sample is necessary because it allows us to determine the tissue similarity between two individuals (donor/patient) and requires a significant financial outlay. Volunteer bone marrow donors do not participate in these costs.
If a volunteer is initially found to be compatible with a patient and still wishes to donate, additional tests are performed to confirm compatibility and then they undergo a check-up to confirm their good health.
At all stages of the process up to the final consent for transplantation, the volunteer can revoke his decision to donate if he feels he is not ready for it. However, it is extremely important that the donor is aware and absolutely certain of his decision. People who have doubts or register under emotional or other pressure without being sure whether they are truly willing to proceed should understand that they are giving false hope to patients.
Sources of texts and information:
National Transplant Organization (NTO)
Center for Information and Attracting Volunteer Bone Marrow Donors of the University of Patras (KEDMOP)
Frequently asked questions
Bone marrow is the fluid tissue found within the flat bones of the pelvis and sternum and contains progenitor hematopoietic cells which, when mature, turn into the formed components of our blood and immune system, namely red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
Bone marrow transplantation is a treatment method used to treat certain types of cancer, particularly leukemias and lymphomas. These diseases can often be cured by replacing the patient’s own bone marrow with marrow from a healthy, histocompatible donor. This procedure is called an allogeneic bone marrow transplant.
The histocompatibility of two individuals, or in other words their tissue similarity, is determined by histocompatibility antigens (HLA). HLA antigens are special molecules expressed on cells, which are different in each individual and determine their “tissue type”. They are determined in special histocompatibility laboratories in a blood sample and comparing the tissue type of two individuals allows us to determine the similarity-compatibility between them. HLA antigens are hereditary and constitute the molecular identity of our organism. Because they are particularly diverse, the number of different tissue types is enormous, making it particularly difficult to find two individuals with the same tissue type. The probability of HLA-similarity between two random individuals ranges from 1:20,000 to 1:1,000,000.
Because HLA antigens are inherited from parents, the first search for a suitable donor for a patient with a 25% chance of success is among his siblings. Only 1/3 of patients will find a related compatible donor. For the rest, an unrelated donor must be sought among volunteers like you who are willing and able to donate bone marrow for any patient in need.
The basic requirement for becoming a bone marrow donor is to be at least 18 years of age and not to exceed 55 years of age (preferably 50).
Volunteer bone marrow donors must meet certain medical criteria aimed at protecting both the patient and the donor.
A: Volunteer donors who suffer from the following conditions CANNOT BECOME DONORS:
1. Chronic diseases
Asthma – see Part B.
Insulin dependent Diabetes – see Part B.
Cancer – all types even skin cancer
Heart problems
Multiple Sclerosis
Liver Cirrhosis
Muscular Dystrophy
Schizophrenia
2. Communicable diseases
AIDS (HIV Exposure)
Hepatitis B or C
3. Autoimmune diseases
Eczema
Coeliac Disease and Colitis
Crohn’s Disease
Graves Disease
Purpura
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatic Fever
Sarcoidosis
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Psoriatic Arthritis
Β: Volunteer donors suffering from the following conditions MUST PROVIDE more information:
Anaemia – A history of anemia or a temporary anemic state is not acceptable until medication is finished and the hemoglobin level returns to normal.
HIP Replacement – Acceptable. However, the donor should be aware that he may have temporary back pain if he donates bone marrow.
Asthma – If the volunteer is on continuous medication, they cannot register. However, if they do not take medication frequently or if their asthma was caused by an allergy, they can register.
Gastro-Intestinal Symptoms – Acceptable as long as the disease is controlled.
Νon-Ιnsulin Dependent Diabetes – If it is controlled only with a special diet then the volunteer is acceptable.
Pregnancy – Female volunteers who become pregnant cannot register until one year after giving birth.
Εndometriosis – The volunteer in this case must have the consent of her doctor in order to register.
Epilepsy – If the volunteer is on continuous medication, they cannot register. If the volunteer has not had an epileptic seizure in 5 years and has not taken medication since then, they can register.
Hepatitis A – If the disease manifested itself 3 or more years ago and no symptoms are present, then the volunteer can register.
Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Anaemia – Volunteers who are carriers (have the “stigma”) can register.
Thyroid – Volunteers taking thyroxine are acceptable, volunteers taking other medications should be assessed individually.
Jaundice – Volunteers who suffered from jaundice in infancy or childhood can register.
Depression/mental illness – More information is needed regarding treatment.
Malaria – If the volunteer has suffered from the disease in the last 5 years, he/she cannot register. If 5 years have passed without any symptoms after treatment, then he/she can register.
Poliomyelitis – As long as the volunteer does not have a serious physical disability, he or she can register.
Osteo-Arthritis – It is acceptable as long as the volunteer is not taking cortisone and their spine is not affected.
Osteomyelitis – It is acceptable for the volunteer to be healthy at this stage.
Scoliosis – Acceptable, as long as the volunteer is not taking medication and does not have problems with his/her back.
Back problems – Serious cases are excluded, muscle problems and other mild cases are acceptable.
Tattoos – Acceptable only after 6 months.
Hysterectomy – In order to be able to register, the volunteer must not have any malignancies and at least 1 year has passed since the day they underwent surgery.
Tuberculosis – If the disease has not been completely cured and the volunteer is taking medication, he/she cannot register. If the volunteer has not taken medication for 5 years, then he/she can register.
Surgery – At least 1 year has passed since the day the surgery was performed and the patient does not have any symptoms after the surgery.
Gall Stones – Only if the volunteer has undergone surgery and has no further problems is he/she accepted.
High Blood Pressure – If the condition is controlled with medication, then it is acceptable.
High Cholesterol – If the condition is controlled with or without medication, then it is acceptable.
Psoriasis – Only light forms are acceptable.
Registration Process in the Greek and Global Pool of Volunteer Bone Marrow Donors
For bone marrow, you can contact the Volunteer Bone Marrow Donor Centers operating in Athens, Thessaloniki, Larissa and Patras.
ATHENS
General Hospital <G. Gennimatas> of Athens-Department of Immunology-National Histocompatibility Center (tel. 210-7711914)
General Hospital <Evangelismos> of Athens – Department of Immunology – Histocompatibility (tel. 213-2043166)
<Elena Venizelou> Maternity Hospital of Athens – Immunobiology Department (tel. 210-6453759)
Children’s Hospital <Agia Sophia> of Athens – Department of Immunology and Histocompatibility (tel. 213-2013763/64)
MARIANNA VARDINOYANNI CHILDREN’S ONCOLOGY UNIT – ELPIDA VISION OF HOPE
LIVADEIAS 8 115 27 GOUDI
TEL. 210 7775615
FAX 210 7485030
THESSALONIKI
General Hospital <Ippokrateio> of Thessaloniki – Department of Immunology – Peripheral Histocompatibility Center (2310-892607 or 2310-892650)
LARISSA
University Hospital of Larissa – Department of Immunology and Histocompatibility (tel. 2413-502579 or 2413-502173)
PATRAS
XARISE ZOI
Center for Information and Attracting Volunteer Bone Marrow Donors – University of Patras (KEDMOP)
Preclinical Operations Building (ground floor), Department of Medicine,
University of Patras, Campus – Rio, 26504 Patras
Τ: +30 2610 997 510
F: +30 2610 997 667
E: cbmdpatras@upatras.gr
For the Greek region, where there is no corresponding center for volunteer bone marrow donors, the registration of volunteer donors is done at the blood donations of the hospitals in their area. The blood donations, after contacting the above laboratories, determine which laboratory they will collaborate with and will send the received samples for standardization. It is advisable for volunteer donors who apply for blood donations to be informed to which laboratory their sample will be sent and therefore to which donor center they will belong. All volunteer donors must report to the donor center to which they belong any change in their contact information, so as to facilitate their finding, in case they are found to be compatible with a patient.
The most common method of obtaining a transplant today is by collecting hematopoietic progenitor cells from the donor’s blood. In the past, it was done in the operating room by puncturing the pelvic bones and aspirating bone marrow.
[More information here]
It is very important to know that registering a donor in the Registry does not obligate them to participate in the next steps of the process if they are found to be compatible with a patient. They can request to be removed from the registry at any time. For this reason, they must be fully informed and aware before deciding to become a volunteer bone marrow donor.