Are you 18-45 years old and in good health?

If so, come to the Henry Dunant Hospital Center on Friday 23rd November at 12:00 to learn about donating bone marrow and becoming a donor! 

Knowing that thousands of patients with life-threatening diseases can only be cured by bone marrow transplantation, and that, although there are millions of donors worldwide, 20% of patients are still not able to find a compatible donor, registration to the Bone Marrow Donor Bank “Orama Elpidas” is of great importance. Some of these patients may be your friends, relatives, your little nephew, or your friend’s child.

What is Bone Marrow Transplantation?

Bone marrow transplantation treats malignant diseases such as leukemia and lymphoma, but also benign ones, such as thalassemia and sickle cell anemia.  It also applies in rare degenerative neurological diseases.

What are my chances of matching?

You have a 25% likelihood of being a matching donor for a patient in your family, while finding a compatible unrelated donor is extremely rare. This means that you might be a patient’s only hope.

How is the transplant taken?

The most common method today is to collect peripheral hematopoietic stem cells in a way similar to that of blood donation. The most common side effect is headache and mild bone pain and myalgia or muscle pain, which subsides with common painkillers. The second method is to collect bone marrow cells. The procedure takes less than one hour. Some donors may experience local mild pain that lasts for a few days. 

Can I revoke my decision about donating?

You can revoke your decision about becoming a donor at all stages of the procedure if you are not ready for it.

How can I become a bone marrow donor?

The process is as follows:

1. You fill in the application form for registration as a volunteer donor of stem cells.
2. You take a swab test for tissue typing.
3. The results of the laboratory analysis are entered in the National (EOM) and the World (BMDW) Bone Marrow Donor Registry.
It’s that simple!

For more information: 210 6972 489, 210 6972 000