Being a Bone Marrow Donor

Our goal will be to add 200 new donors to the National Marrow Donor Program through this drive in honor of Alivia. Again, the time and date of this drive is not final, but will be announced very soon. In preparation, we wanted to pass along this information if you are thinking of becoming a donor.
There are several things to take into consideration:

* You must be between the ages of 18 – 60 and in good general health. Click here for health guidelines.

* The day of the drive, you would undergo a quick, simple, painless cheek swab. If you have matching factors, you would be called back in at a later date for additional testing.

* While you will be tissue typed to be a match for Alivia, you are also volunteering to be a donor for any potential patient who might need a transplant through the registry. It is a decision that you should think through and possibly discuss with your family. Click here for more details.

* You do not need to be present the day of the drive to be a donor. You may visit a donor center in your area and be tested on your own, but you may be responsible for the cost of typing (normally arond $52).

* The Central Blood Bank in the Pittsburgh area is one of the only centers in the nation where it is free to have your tissue typed for the NMDP when you donate a pint of blood. They have donation centers all over Western PA.

* Also note that due to the need for diversity, people with Black and African American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and Hispanic and Latino heritage are tissue typed for free.

* If you cannot volunteer to be a donor, please assist us by spreading the word about the drive or perhaps make a small contribution to help defray the cost for those who are able to donate.

* There is a cost associated with tissue typing. We are currently fundraising and working with The Marrow Foundation to reduce or possibly eliminate that cost. We will let everyone know in advance if there will be a minimal cost associated with the drive in honor of Alivia.

We are seeking corporate donors to contribute to a tax-deductible fund to cover costs for the drive. Our goal is to raise $5,000. Donations can be made online here and can also be mailed to with the form mentioned in the previous post to:

The Marrow Foundation
400 Seventh Street, NW, Suite 206
Washington, DC 20004
Reference: Friends of Alivia Haughery Fund