Not every member of the NMDP Registry goes on to donate for a patient. If you have donated bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC), thank you for your generosity. On behalf of the patients and their family and friends, thank you. Your time and selflessness as a bone marrow or PBSC donor has made a significant difference in many lives.
At the time of your donation, you will be given detailed information about what to expect after donation, and who to contact if you have problems or questions.
Ron, marrow donor
Watch videos from actual donors and donor medical staff to learn more about the donation experience.
Recovery from bone marrow and PBSC donation
Marrow and PBSC donors should expect to return to work, school and most other activities within 1 to 7 days. Your marrow will return to normal levels within a few weeks. It’s important to note that bone marrow donor recovery times will vary depending on the individual and the type of donation.
PBSC donation: The median time to full recovery for a PBSC donation is one week (seven days). Note: Median time is defined as the middle number in a range of numbers.
Bone marrow donation recovery: The median time to full recovery for a marrow donation is 20 days. Note: Median time is defined as the middle number in a range of numbers.
We will follow up with you until you report a full recovery.
Contacting your recipient
In some cases it may be possible to meet the recipient you donated to, but in some cases you may not. Learn about our guidelines for contacting recipients.
The power of one. The power of many.
When you donate bone marrow or PBSC, you join a community of supporters dedicated to being the cure for patients with blood cancers, like leukemia. After donation, you can continue to support the cause by:
- Joining our social media communities and telling others about your donation experience
- Attending events
- Becoming a volunteer
- Contributing financially to help support blood cancer patients
- Become an advocate for patients with blood cancers and blood diseases