Other Ways to Help

If someone you care about is going through a bone marrow or cord blood transplant (also called a BMT), you may want to help. Most transplant centers require the patient to have a caregiver who will be with them at the hospital and help them recover at home. If you are that person — the primary caregiver — you will have much to do. But others may also be looking for ways to help.

Some ways friends and family can help include:

• Fund raising — a transplant is expensive. Most transplant patients need to do fund raising to help cover costs not covered by insurance, such as lost wages, travel and drug co-pays.
• Helping the primary caregiver with daily and weekly tasks.
• Helping other patients in need of transplant:
  • Make a financial contribution to help support transplant patients and the work of the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP).
  • Donate frequent flyer miles to help patients travel to receive treatment.
  • Join the NMDP Registry.
  • Hold a donor drive.