I chanced upon this website :
http://www.onematch.ca" rel="nofollow">LINK
and was considering to register as a donor.
Has any other CDs registered and taken the test?
Any comments? Anything to be careful of?

I came across in one the desi's advertisement/appeal because his 2 yr old has luekema and needs matching from other desis. I heard that it is very genes related and only people from similar geographical locations match...

More information shared will be beneficial to all.

Hiren

Very noble thought Hiren. Please put it in action asap.

Both me and my spouse are registered Bone Marrow (BM) Donors.

South Asian representation in world BM registry is less than 5% whereas we make up more than 35% of our earth's population. considering various matching criteria (variability in HLA - histocompatibilty antigens), this means that the probability of finding a matched bone marrow donor if you are a south asian is very rare indeed. Consequently if you are a registered donor, the probability that you may be requested to donate at some pint in life is also equally rare.

It is a shame that India does not have a curated and accredited BM registry. In the days when our medical care facilities and expertise are second to none. Although an NGO and an academic group at AIIMS have started moving forward in this direction.

Anyways, if you decide to become a donor, you will be asked a few health related questions (HIV status, weight/age, previous cancerous illness, etc) and then you have to go to a nearby laboratory to give a blood sample (5 ml) from which they will do a DNA test for HLA typing. Within a few days, you will have official confirmation of being enlisted on the registry with a number, etc. Its as simple as that. In USA (and Italy) they can do this test from a buccal (oral) swab as well but in Canada they prefer blood test.

Please note that you may be eligible to donate bone marrow even if you may not be eligible to donate blood (e.g. if you have ever had Malaria).

I will be very happy to give all encouragement and any information to anyone about this.

Please check out:

http://tinyurl.com/4fpxyz
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7679590.stm
http://www.matchpia.org/htm/projectIndia.htm

Thank Laksa for the information.

Infact the procedure here is also with buccal swab - thats what I recall from the agent I spoke to - dont know if I have to do the blood test later...

If it does not have any 'cons', I feel more Desis should register as well - I will decide over the weekend.

Hiren

You are absolutely right. Canadian BM program has caught up to US BMDR finally. We had registered nearly 3 years back when Blood test was required. Now it is indeed a buccal swab - with a kit mailed to your home!!


The following is from Candian BM program FAQ:

*I live in the country. Going to the city to take a blood test is very inconvenient for me.

Until recently becoming a stem cell donor meant taking a blood test. Not any more. From now on, registering to help Canadians suffering from such life-threatening illnesses as leukemia, lymphoma or sickle-cell disease is as simple and painless as brushing your teeth. Once you register online at http://www.onematch.ca" rel="nofollow">LINK, a buccal (cheek) swab kit will be mailed directly to your home with clear instructions and a return envelope. A buccal swab looks like a long Q-tip. The top of the swab is rubbed on the inside of the cheek to collect epithelial cells (loose cheek cells). The buccal swab has become the standard sample collection method for DNA testing because it is safe and painless. When it reaches our labs, the DNA will be extracted for Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) typing from the specimen, and your information will be entered into our database. The buccal swab project was successfully piloted in British Columbia last fall and rolled out nationally in February 2008.

For more FAQs, please visit:
http://tinyurl.com/44xjzz

Thanks again..

My plans are firming up...

Hiren