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 About blood stem cell donation

Choosing to donate blood stem cells is choosing to help save a life. But what's the process like? Discover how donation works and see how your good can go a long way for someone in need of life-saving cell therapy.

To access information about donation and matching with a patient in Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean or Vietnamese, visit our translated materials page.

Life-changing stories

A woman carrying a small dog on her shoulders.

A simple swab launched Natalie's donor journey

A registry recruitment event led Natalie to an unexpected act of compassion, transforming her life—and someone else's.
Read Natalie’s story
A man holding a bag of blood in a hospital room.

The importance of saying “yes” to donate blood stem cells

Jeremiah's childhood dream of being a hero took a real-life turn when he faced the decision to donate blood stem cells.
Read Jeremiah’s story
A girl in a blue jacket and snow goggles sits in the stands, watching a winter sports event.

St. Louis Blues superfan has victory over rare blood disorder

Laila, a young St. Louis Blues supporter, beat the odds when she received a transplant—and gained a new friend along the way.
Read Laila’s story
A woman carrying a small dog on her shoulders.

A simple swab launched Natalie's donor journey

A registry recruitment event led Natalie to an unexpected act of compassion, transforming her life—and someone else's.
Read Natalie’s story
A man holding a bag of blood in a hospital room.

The importance of saying “yes” to donate blood stem cells

Jeremiah's childhood dream of being a hero took a real-life turn when he faced the decision to donate blood stem cells.
Read Jeremiah’s story

What are blood stem cells used for?

Blood stem cells are immature cells found in the bone marrow and circulating (peripheral) blood. They can self-renew, meaning they can divide to produce more stem cells, and they also have the amazing ability to develop into red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, which are essential for well-functioning immune and circulatory systems. When a patient with diseased cells, such as someone with a blood cancer or disorder, receives a blood stem cell transplant, the donor’s healthy cells travel to the patient’s bone marrow and start producing new cells. These new cells enter the patient’s bloodstream, replacing the diseased cells.

Read more about the diseases treated by a blood stem cell transplant.

How donation works

If you’re chosen as the best match for a patient, you’ll donate one of two ways:

 

There’s no cost to you to donate. NMDPSM pays for all donation-related expenses, such as medical appointments and donation itself. We’ll also cover travel expenses for you and a companion, plus costs related to childcare, pet care and lost wages.

How matching works

While a blood stem cell donation can cure or treat more than 75 diseases including leukemia or sickle cell, 70% of patients don’t have a fully matched donor in their family. In those cases, doctors turn to the NMDP RegistrySM to look for an unrelated donor who can help. Instead of using blood type to match donors and patients, doctors look at human leukocyte antigens (HLA), genes that code for proteins found on most cells in your body.

Myths and facts about donating PBSC and bone marrow

In our decades of managing the nation’s donor registry, we’ve witnessed plenty of confusion and uncertainty about donating blood stem cells. To make sure everyone has the facts, we’ve addressed some common misinformation.

FAQs about registry eligibility

Ready to join?

Become part of our life-saving donor registry.
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