The Biomedicine Agency and all its partners - the reception centers of the French Blood Establishment and hospitals, transplant professionals and associations, including the Gaël Adolescent Espoir association Leukemia, launch the 2nd national week of mobilization for bone marrow donation, from October 5 to 11, 2007.
Its goal : to explain why patients today need more people to register in the National Register of Voluntary Bone Marrow Donors. Because our fellow citizens do not know much about this subject and do not understand the full importance of this gesture, as the survey carried out in July 2007 by the Biomedicine Agency revealed.
The main misconceptions, obstacles to registration on the France Greffe de Moelle Register.
- 74% of those surveyed believe that it is easy to find a compatible donor and patient. So why would you want to increase the file?
Because, contrary to what people think, compatibility between two people is a very rare event: there is about a 1 in 1 million chance that two people will be compatible. Hence the need to increase the number of volunteers registered on the Register.
- 72% of respondents believe that bone marrow is taken from the spine. So is it risky to donate your bone marrow?
No, because it is not about removing spinal cord from the spine, but bone marrow from the flat bones of the pelvis. It is a simple surgical act, a sample taken under general anesthesia, which, of course, carries no risk of paralysis. In many cases, the bone marrow cells are simply collected from the donor's blood.
In light of these results, the Biomedicine Agency reaffirms its communication objectives for the 2nd national week of mobilization for bone marrow donation:
For the 2007 national week of mobilization for bone marrow donation, the Biomedicine Agency and all its partners - the reception centers of the French Blood Establishment and hospitals, transplant professionals and associations - call on everyone to learn more about the subject and to register on the French Register of Bone Marrow Donation Volunteers.
To become a voluntary bone marrow donor, you must meet three conditions :
• Be in perfect health;
• Be over 18 and under 50 when registering, even if you can then donate up to 60;
• Accept to answer a medical interview and to take a blood test.
What procedure to follow to become a donor?
• Obtain on the site www.dondemoelleosseuse.fr an information document and the application for registration on the French Register of Voluntary Bone Marrow Donors and return the form to the address indicated; or
• Order this document and the registration request free of charge.
CONTACT G.A.E.L.
Benoit Lançon
President Gael Adolescent Espoir Leukemia Association
E-Mail: on the site G.A.E.L.
Site www.association-gael.org