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Why
are Volunteer Marrow Donors Needed? |
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The
little boy� is one of more than 30,000 American
children and adults diagnosed each year with leukemia,
aplastic anemia or other deadly blood diseases.� Around
the world, tens of thousands of people are stricken
with such diseases.� Marrow transplants can save
many of these people, if only they can find a compatible
donor. Right now, more than 3,000 people are looking
for a hero who can give them a unique gift of life.� Marrow
contains blood stem cells, the basis of the body's
blood and immune systems.� Blood stem cells are
also found in blood circulating through the body. Transplants
replace patients , diseased blood stem cells with healthy
cells from a donor. Within a week or two, the transplanted
cells begin to reproduce normally, replacing the patient's
blood and immune system.� These transplants require
a precise genetic match between patients and donors.
Finding compatible donors for hearts and livers is
easier than finding two people similar enough genetically
to successfully exchange blood stem cells. |
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Many
patients can receive transplants from their brothers
or sisters or other close relatives. But 70 percent
of patients do not find compatible donors within their
families, and must search for an unrelated donor.� Finding
unrelated donors would be nearly impossible without
an international net work of marrow donor registries
that make potential donors available to patients anywhere
in the world.� |
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Michael
needs |
a donor |
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For
information on becoming a donor in Spanish click SPANISH |
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