Hey John – can you use my stem cells?

I'm overwhelmed with the number of people who have said to us that they'd be willing to donate their cells if I could use them. It's a very kind and selfless gesture, and makes us feel so fortunate to have such caring family and friends.

Sadly, the chance that your stem cells would be a good match for me is almost zero. The biochemistry of stem cell matching is ... um ...complicated, to say the least. What I understand is that each of us has a total of 12 HLA's (Human Leukocyte Antigens) in our genetic makeup; you get 6 from your mom and 6 from your dad. HLA's are cellular surface molecules that regulate our immune system and antibodies. The transplant team will be looking for a donor who can get as close as possible to a 12 HLA match. I'm told that 8-10 would be amazing. The minimum number for a successful transplant would be 6. So the perfect match would be if I had an identical twin brother – which I don't have. But I do have three siblings and (as far as we know) all of us have the same two parental gene contributors, so they represent the easiest source to have HLA's like mine. (Unless of course, the rumors that my youngest brother was adopted are true...) Statistically, they have a 25% chance of being the match. Clinically, about 70% of patients end up with non-related donors.

If my sibs don't match, the team will turn to the international registry of stem cell donors. There are over 15 million people who have signed up and are willing to donate their cells if needed. My transplant doc said that it's most likely that we'll find a match from the registry and that person would very likely come from western or northern Europe, because what's where my family's genetic ancestry originates; I'm a white caucasian male whose ancestors came from Ireland, England, Austria, and France. 

If they don't find a match on the registry, then the last resort will be to turn to one of my children, as they, by virtue of having 1/2 of their HLA's come from me, will have at least 6 of the 12 HLA's that I need. Not optimal, but better than nothing, I suppose. 

So you probably can't help me directly. But if you're moved to help someone who is diagnosed with leukemia or other blood disorder, you can register and perhaps save someone else's life. The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) is always looking for potential donors and financial help. You can go to BETHEMATCH.ORG to sign up and learn all about it. People ask me what's required to be a donor? There's more to it than this, but basically, you have to be willing, healthy, and under the age of 40. 

But if you meet the qualifications, the process is pretty simple: You sign up. You do a cheek swab with a q-tip, mail it in, and wait for a phone call. If they call you, you get a physical and a blood test, and if everything checks out and your cells are needed, then your commitment extends to about a 30 hours of your time. There's nothing scary about it. They'd simply draw some of your peripheral blood, siphon off the stem cells and then return your blood to you.  

So the search for my match has already begun. Time will tell if and when I'll match. Thanks again for wanting to help. It means the world to us.