Did you know?
Every day 6 Singaporeans are diagnosed with a blood-related disease. For some patients, a bone marrow transplant is often their last chance of survival.
A bone marrow transplant involves the infusion of healthy blood stem cells into the patient’s body to stimulate new bone marrow growth and restore production of healthy blood cells.
The search for a suitable donor usually starts with the patient’s family. Parents are always a half-match for their children because a child inherits half of the HLA markers from each parent.
There is only a 25% chance of a sibling being a suitable donor for a patient because there are four possible combinations for the maternal and paternal characteristics.
For patients requiring a transplant who do not have a related donor, an HLA-matched unrelated donor is the next best option. 70% of patients do not find a match among their siblings and end up looking to a public register to provide them with a match. BMDP is Singapore’s only public register providing unrelated donors for patients.
Want to know more?
You can learn more at our interactive virtual roadshow. We go in-depth about the bone marrow donation process and share testimonials and video interviews with donors who have experienced it. The roadshow also showcases the difference you can make in someone's life through our Donor Patient Stories.
Every new donor on the register could be another life saved. If you are aged 18 to 49 and in good health, you could be the one to give patients and their families, a second lease of life.
To Join The Register
- Check your eligibility
- Register your interest - Provide us with some contact information to get in touch with you (5 minutes)
- Check your mail - A swab kit and Registration Form will be mailed to your residence
- Complete the swab and form and mail the kit back to BMDP
Every new donor on the register could be another life saved. If you are aged 18 to 49 and in good health, you could be the one who give patients and their family, a second lease of life.
Joining the register* is simple and your commitment is crucial to the patients.
*Registration is voluntary. You will be eligible to be a potential marrow donor up until the age of 60.
But one more important thing you can do -- Let your parents, family and loved ones know you have signed up to be a donor! It is never too early to inform them, as you will need their loving support should you be found as a match to a patient and get that life-saving call from us. You could be a match to anyone anywhere in the world!
What Happen Next?
Your cheek swabs are sent to a laboratory to identify your Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) typing. You will then be included into our register of potential marrow donors.
Matching a donor to a patient is much more complex than matching blood types as it is based on HLA typing. A close HLA match to a patient is needed for a successful transplant and because it is so unique, you mightonly be contacted after a period of several months or even years!
Only IF you are found to be a match, our Donor Centre will get in touch to guide you through the next steps of your life-saving journey.
