Thousands of patients with blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, sickle cell and other life-threatening diseases need a bone marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant. They depend on Be The Match Registry® to find a match — someone like you.
We all have the power to help, the power to give hope.
Finding a match: The basics
For a successful transplant, a patient needs a matching donor. If you are between the ages of 18 and 44, patients especially need you. Doctors choose donors based on what is best for their patient. When more than one potential donor is a good HLA match for a patient, doctors will also consider other factors, including the donor’s age. Research shows that cells from younger donors lead to more successful transplants. Doctors request donors in the 18-44 age group 90 percent of the time.
Race and ethnicity matter
Because the markers used in matching are inherited, patients are more likely to match someone from their own ancestry. Adding more donors and cord blood units from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds to the Be The Match Registry increases the likelihood that all patients will find the match they need.
Your heritage can make all the difference. If you are from one of the following communities, you are especially encouraged to join the Be The Match Registry or donate umbilical cord blood:
- Black and African American
- American Indian and Alaska Native
- Asian, including South Asian
- Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander
- Hispanic and Latino
- Multiple race
A match for every patient. Hope for every family.
We have a registry of millions. But we still do not have matched bone marrow donors or umbilical cord blood for all patients, especially for those from racially and ethnically diverse communities.
We need more people to join the registry and expectant parents to donate umbilical cord blood. With your help, more people will receive a transplant. And more families will have a future filled with hope.
Be the one to give hope.