COMDTINST 6530.1
(NMDP) registry at no cost. The C.W. Bill Young Marrow Donor Program is available
to assist commands in organizing and conducting bone marrow donor drives for eligible
DOD and Coast Guard personnel in their area, including members of reserve and national
guard components, and DOD and Coast Guard civilian employees (while not specifically
mentioned in the MOU CG civilian employees are entitled by statute).
b.
Donating bone marrow is a unique lifesaving opportunity. Bone marrow transplants are
often a last hope for survival for thousands of children and adults afflicted with over 50
fatal diseases including leukemia, lymphomas, aplastic anemia and inherited immune
disorders. Some 5,000 to 10,000 Americans are in need of bone marrow transplants each
year, including members of the Coast Guard family. Those who do not have a sibling with
compatible bone marrow, depend on finding an unrelated person with compatible marrow
characteristics through the NMDP registry. The odds of any two unrelated individuals of
the same ethnic background having matching marrow characteristics are about 20,000 to
one. Even with approximately 3 million persons currently registered, the number of
transplants that can be performed is limited by the availability of tissue matched (typed)
donors. To give these people hope, it is critical that as many willing individuals as
possible be included in the NMDP registry as possible.
c.
Units that desire to conduct a bone marrow donor registration drive may contact the C.W.
Bill Young Marrow Donor Program at 1-800-MARROW-3 for assistance. An information
packet is available describing program eligibility and the steps needed to conduct a
successful drive. Once a command approves and schedules a drive, the C.W. Bill Young
Marrow Donor Program will provide all informational materials, registration and consent
forms, blood drawing supplies, sample tubes and instructions. Generally, units will be
asked to arrange for medical personnel to screen and draw blood samples from volunteers
and personnel to assist volunteers with the registration forms. Bone marrow donor
recruitment drives may be held in conjunction with blood donation drives, but should be
coordinated in advance with the local blood center. Donor recruitment staff members
from the C.W. Bill Young Marrow Donor Program are available to assist units if needed.
d.
The decision whether to register as a potential marrow donor, or if found to be a match,
donate bone marrow, is solely voluntary and up to the individual. The odds of any one
volunteer being called to donate are very slim. Should that occur, the NMDP normally
requests blood samples from the individual that are used for confirmatory typing and
screening. If found to be a desirable match, the member would receive counseling from
the NMDP and has the option of declining to donate. If they agree to donate, bone
marrow collection is a minor surgical procedure, usually performed in a hospital under
general anesthesia. Under NMDP program guidelines, travel, lodging and hospital costs
incurred by the donor are paid for by the recipient or their health coverage. Requests for
time away for confirmatory testing, counseling and marrow donation should be approved
the same as those for other
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