American Red Cross Blood Services, New England Region, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont

American Red Cross Blood Services - New England Region
Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont

Where Tradition and the New Millennium Meet

The National Marrow Donor Program
Taking The Next Step

About the National Marrow Donor Program
The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) is the international leader in the facilitation of unrelated marrow and blood stem cell transplantation.A non-profit organization based in Minneapolis, Minn., the NMDP facilitates unrelated marrow and blood stem cell transplants for patients with life-threatening diseases who do not have matching donors in their families.

Since its founding in 1986, the NMDP has facilitated approximately 12,000 unrelated transplants for patients with blood disorders, such as leukemia and aplastic anemia, as well as certain immune system and genetic disorders.

The NMDP is the only organization that offers a single point of access for all sources of stem cells used in transplantation: marrow, peripheral blood and umbilical cord blood. At any given time, the NMDP offers hope to more than 3,000 patients searching its Registry.

Through an extensive network of national and international affiliates, the NMDP currently facilitates more than 130 transplants each month.

Recruiting Committed Donors
By recruiting committed donors, the NMDP maintains the largest and most diverse Registry of potential volunteer marrow and blood stem cell donors in the world.

Volunteers should be easy to contact, should be eligible (in good general health and between the ages of 18 and 60) and should discuss their decision to donate with their family. Patients are counting on volunteers to be both willing and able to donate if they are ever identified as a potential match.

Minority patients will continue to benefit from the addition of more African Americans, American Indian/Alaska Natives, Asian/Pacific Islanders and Hispanics to the Registry.

Reducing Search-to-Transplant Time
Finding a donor and proceeding to transplant quickly is crucial to the survival of the patient receiving a stem cell transplant. The NMDP is working to reduce this time by developing new search strategies, obtaining early referrals and providing a single point of access for all unrelated stem cell options: marrow, peripheral blood and umbilical cord blood.

Since the NMDP began operations in 1987, it has:

Actively recruited a diverse Registry of more than 4 million potential volunteer marrow and blood stem cell donors;
Provided transplants to nearly 13,000 patients;
Developed education and recruitment initiatives to continually increase the diversity of the Registry;
Increased the number of minority patients receiving transplants each year;
Developed patient advocacy services;
Expanded stem cell options to include peripheral blood stem cells;
Established a system of listing cord blood units within its own national Registry.

*As of February 2001

For more information, visit the NMDP's website.

Medical Update

©2000-2001 American Red Cross Blood Services - New England Region
Administrative Headquarters, 180 Rustcraft Road, Suite 115, Dedham, MA 02026
Phone: 781-461-2000 or 1-800-462-9400