Frequently Asked Questions
To sign up as a stem cell donor, you must be:
- Between the ages of 17-35
- In good general health
- Willing to donate to anyone in need, who could be anywhere in the world
- Willing to provide a cheek swab and complete a consent form
- Have provincial healthcare coverage in Canada
If you meet these requirements, you can sign up at blood.ca/stem-cell-club27, or at a stem cell drive run by us or by Canadian Blood Services
We are especially searching to recruit male donors as well as individuals from a diversity of ethnic backgrounds.
Patients in need of a transplant are more likely to find a match from within their own ethnic group. Right now, non-Caucasians are under-represented on Canada's donor database, making it much harder for these patients to find the match they need for a transplant.
Male donors are preferred by transplant physicians, because they are associated with improved patient outcomes.
- Sign up as a volunteer with us (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CL6JMLF)
- Share our promotional videos
- Tell the 17-35 year old men and ethnically diverse people in your life to sign up to get swabbed!
Myths About Stem Cell Donation
There are some myths about stem cell donation and we hope that reading the following will help to dispel them.
The donor's spinal cord is unaffected in the collection of stem cells. For a bone marrow donation, the collection of the stem cells is taken from the iliac crest which sits at the back of the pelvic bone. The day-procedure (operation) takes place under general anaesthesia.
Some donations involve surgery and some do not. Canadian Blood Services may ask donors to give stem cells from their bone marrow or peripheral blood. While bone marrow donation is a surgical procedure, peripheral blood stem cell donation is a non-surgical procedure done in an outpatient clinic. Peripheral blood stem cell donation involves removing a donor's blood through a sterile needle in one arm. The blood is passed through a machine that separates out the stem cells used in transplantation. The remaining blood is returned through the other arm. The patient's doctor will decide what type of donation is best for the patient.
Canadian Blood Services facilitates two types of procedures—stem cell donation from bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell donation. For bone marrow donation, the collection of stem cells is taken from the iliac crest and this type of procedure is done under general anaesthetic so the donor experiences no pain. For peripheral blood stem cell donation, the collection is a non-surgical procedure done in an outpatient clinic and does not involve anaesthetic. The donor does not experience pain during either procedure.
Bone marrow donors can expect to feel some soreness in their lower back. There have also been reports of donors feeling tired and having some discomfort walking for a couple of days or longer. Most donors are back to their usual routine in a few days. Some may take a few weeks before they feel completely recovered.
Peripheral blood stem cell donors report varying symptoms including headache, bone or muscle pain, nausea, insomnia and fatigue. These effects disappear shortly after donating.
The body replaces the stem cells within six weeks. After donating, most donors are back to their usual routine in a few days.
The requirements for finding a match are so precise that fewer than 25% of those in need can receive a transplant from someone in their own family. That is why we maintain the OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network—a network of Canadians who are ready to donate to any patient in need.