Donation Process

Identified as a potential match

The total time required for testing and donation is approximately 20 hours over several weeks.

The process begins when we search all donors on our registry to see which donors are a potential match for a patient. For each patient we might find hundreds of potential matches; or we might find only a few. Even when we do find multiple potential matches, only a handful of these matches will be suitable and available to proceed.

We then call the best-matched donors to let them know the exciting news, talk them through the next steps and make sure they’re comfortable to proceed.

After the call, donors are sent a detailed questionnaire about their health. They will also be asked to provide some blood samples, which the patient’s medical team will test to clinically verify the match and check for infectious diseases. This is to make sure any donation is safe for both the donor and the patient.

The patient’s medical team use these blood test results to select which donor, if any, is most suitable for their patient.

Watch our Verification Testing video to find out more.

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Work up & clearing to donate

Work up is an appointment a donor must attend, consisting of a physical examination and an information session carried out by a medical professional. This is an opportunity to discuss the donation and transplant process so a donor feels fully informed. They will also be asked to complete a health questionnaire to talk through. A physical examination is then performed, which includes:

Chest x-ray
ECG
Taking blood samples
Assessment of veins
Assessment of general anaesthetic risk
If a donor is female, they will be asked to take a pregnancy test

Watch our work up and donation preparation video to find out more.

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Donation methods

Two donation methods are used to collect blood stem cells from a donor. 90% of the time, stem cells are retrieved by Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSC) donation; the other 10% is bone marrow donation. You will be informed of the donation method which has been requested from the patient’s medical team based on what the patient needs.

PBSC

The most common method is a Peripheral Blood Stem Cell donation. A few days before donating, a donor will increase the level of stem cells in the blood by injecting G-CSF (Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor). On donation day, a donor will undergo an outpatient procedure whereby a needle is placed into each arm. Blood is drawn from one arm, processed through a cell-separating (apheresis) machine that collects stem cells and replaces the remaining blood into the other arm. The procedure can take between four to six hours; it depends on how many stem cells are required for the patient. If not enough cells are collected, a donor may be asked to come back in for a second day.

Bone marrow donation

Bone marrow is taken from the hips while a donor is under general anaesthesia. This method is usually requested for paediatric patients. Being under a general can mean an overnight stay, before or after the procedure, but some collection centres will allow a donor to go home on the same day. Preparation for bone marrow donation requires no special injections beforehand. The procedure is carried out by inserting a thin needle into the back of the pelvis. A syringe is used to draw out the bone marrow. The body replenishes the donated bone marrow within approximately four weeks.

Preparing for donation

There is no requirement to prep for a bone marrow donation. A collection centre will explain what may be required before donation day.

For PBSC, to increase the number of stem cells, a donor will need to inject G-CSF for four days before they donate. G-CSF is a synthetic version of a naturally occurring protein found in the body. It encourages bone marrow cells to enter the bloodstream. It is given under the skin (similar to insulin injections for diabetes) over four days, with donation occurring on the fifth day. A medical professional (nurse or GP) will usually oversee the first injection and provide training for self-administration.

Donation day

Here is an example of a donation day, depending on whether the donation is via PBSC or bone marrow. Please note that a donation day may not happen at these times or in this order.

Watch our donation day, recovery and follow up video to learn more.

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Recovery & Follow Up

No two people feel the same after donating. Some may feel tired, while others ache. Some feel completely fine. After donation, the main thing is to rest and take it easy for a couple of days. Both donation methods have slightly different symptoms because of how they are carried out. For PBSC, a donor may feel mild flu-like symptoms such as a headache, muscle, and bone pain, bruising or feeling tired. For bone marrow donation, symptoms can range from back/hip pain, stiffness to fatigue and/or bruising around the back of the hips. Most symptoms disappear after a few days; however, a Donor Support Coordinator will be in touch after donation to check-in.

We regularly check in with donors hours and days after they have donated. We want to keep in touch and see how a donor is feeling. A Donor Support Coordinator will follow up with a donor weekly until they resume normal activity. There are key times where we will reach out to donors:

24-72 hours after donation
1-3 weeks post-donation
Three months usually with a GP
Annual follow up for ten years

Mononuclear Cells (MNC) Apheresis Donation

Sometimes a recipient may need white blood cells (lymphocytes) from their donor. This is called a Donor lymphocyte Infusion (DLI) which is collected via an MNC Apheresis procedure. This type of donation can be requested within months of the transplant or several years later and is primarily requested to boost the patient’s recovery after transplant.

Preparation for this is more straightforward and doesn’t require any injections. White blood cells are removed from your blood via apheresis and can take approximately four to five hours. The donation usually takes place at the same collection centre as your previous donation.

Find out more about the Patient/Donor timelinE

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Find out more about the Patient/Donor timeline

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