There's something special about the people who are willing
to share their gift of life by becoming a potential bone marrow donor.
The following is a description of the process:
1. All potential donors must watch a video that gives an overview of the bone marrow donation process. It shows some donors who share their experience.
2. The next step is for the potential donors to fill out a questionnaire that assist the recruiter in determining whether the donor is physically able to be a bone marrow donor. All information is kept confidential and filed in the National Bone Marrow Program's database.
3. The third step in the process is the review process; a recruiter will go over the information on the questionnaire to determine if the donor is qualified. If qualified, the donor is assigned a number and issued an ID card.
4. The fourth and final step is to swab your cheeks; and the sample is sent off to a lab for typing. Typing is a process of identifying an individual's blood group by serologic testing of the sample swab.
Jennifer donated her marrow August 2001
