You can join if you’re between the ages of 18-35. NMDP focuses on young adults because research shows blood stem cells from younger donors give patients their best chance at transplant success and surviving long term.

Other ways to support our mission

As a donor, you’d be giving a patient your healthy blood stem cells. There are two ways to donate:

• Peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation—most donors (90%) donate via peripheral (circulating) blood.
• Bone marrow donation—some donors (10%) donate via marrow withdrawn from the hip bone while under anesthesia.

The doctor chooses the method that’s best for the success and health of their patient. Learn more about donation.

Both peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) and bone marrow donation are less painful than you probably think. Discomfort and side effects vary from person to person, but it’s nothing like what you see on TV.

Some of the common side effects of PBSC donation are headaches, nausea and tiredness—from the daily shots of a drug called filgrastim or an FDA-approved similar administered in the 5 days leading up to donation.

For a bone marrow donation, you experience no pain before or during the procedure, but you may feel sore or achy for a few days afterward.

Between the phone calls, appointments and the donation process itself, you can expect to spend about 20-30 hours over a period of 4-6 weeks completing all the steps necessary for donation.

Learn more about the donation timeline