Why Join the Bone Marrow Registry?
By joining the Irish Unrelated Bone Marrow Registry, you increase the chances of patients in need finding a suitable match for this life-saving treatment.
Bone Marrow (stem cell) transplants can be a treatment option for patients suffering from over 80 conditions, including certain types of leukaemia and other fatal blood disorders. The patient’s own marrow may have stopped producing blood cells or is producing cells that are not properly developed. A transplant can also be necessary for children with rare metabolic disorders.
The most suitable donor is a fully (genetically) matched family member but due to falling family sizes, a sibling donor is not an option for many patients. If a suitable donor is not found within the patients family the transplant physicians look to unrelated registries like the IUBMR to find a suitably matched unrelated donor.
The Irish Unrelated Bone Marrow Registry is the designated World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA) National Hub for the Republic of Ireland whose responsibility is to process requests for donors originating from within the country or emanating from abroad and to co-ordinate activities of donor, harvest and transplant centres in the respective countries.