Stem cell donation process
Stem cell donation requires a special match between the donor’s and the recipient’s blood. Sign up and you may end up being the key to someone’s recovery!
Before registration
Being well informed is a key part of your decision. Read about the selection criteria for stem cell donation and consult our information guide below before registering.
Decision support for registering
Read our guide carefully to find out what your registration entails and what will be expected of you if you are a match for someone who needs a stem cell transplant.
Registration
That's it! You've made up your mind: you want to join the Stem Cell Donor Registry. All you have to do is follow the steps below to register.
Fill out our form
Once we have received your form, Héma-Québec will mail you an oral swab kit. You will receive it approximately four weeks after your registration.
Swab your mouth
When you receive your kit, follow the instructions and use the contents of the kit to swab your mouth. This is an essential step in joining the Stem Cell Donor Registry. This swab will let us determine your HLA typing (for matching purposes).
Send back your kit
Your samples will undergo lab testing to determine your genetic profile. Your data will be kept confidential in our Registry to be checked for matches with patients waiting for stem cell transplants.
After registration
Thank you for joining the Stem Cell Donor Registry! You might be the one special person that a seriously ill patient—here in Québec or elsewhere in the world—has long been waiting for.
Héma-Québec’s call
Now that you’re registered, you could be called by Héma-Québec to make a stem cell donation. That call could change two lives forever: yours, and the person waiting for a transplant. During this call, we’ll verify that you still wish to donate stem cells. However, you should know that you may never get that call. You remain eligible until your 60th birthday.
Tests
If you get the call and decide you still want to make this extraordinary gift, we will ask you for blood samples to confirm you and the patient are a match and to test for transmissible diseases. If everything comes back looking good, we will ask you to make the gift of life, quite literally!
Preparing to donate
For your safety and for the safety of the stem cell recipient, your health will be closely monitored. For this reason, you will have to go to the hospital two or three weeks before donating to:
- Meet with the doctor who will collect your donation
- Provide a medical history and undergo a physical
- Give samples for blood and urine testing
- Have an electrocardiogram and chest X-ray
- Do any other medical tests needed
Donation
Héma-Québec will support you throughout the donation process, assisting you every step of the way and collaborating with hospital staff.
In Quebec, there are two hospitals that collect blood samples:
- Montreal region: Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont.
- Quebec City region: CHU de Québec.
Possible types of donation
There are two ways to donate stem cells. The transplant recipient’s doctor will recommend the best donation method for your situation.
When you donate stem cells by apheresis, a needle is inserted in your arm to collect your blood, which is then passed through a centrifuge to separate out the stem cells and return the other components to your body. A patient will then receive your stem cells as a transplant within 24 to 48 hours of your donation.
Before donating
For four to five days, you will receive injections of a medication that stimulates and releases stem cells from your bone marrow into your bloodstream. On the day of your final injection, you will go to the hospital to donate.
While donating
Stem cell harvesting takes three to five hours. You can typically return home the same day. In some cases, you may be required to make a second donation the next day.
After donating
After you donate, you will probably feel fatigued, like you have the flu. You can take acetaminophen for this discomfort, which should only last for a short time.
After your donation, we recommend:
- Limiting your activities for a few days
- Getting plenty of rest
- Avoiding strenuous physical activities or sports for two to three weeks
- Resuming your normal activities 24 to 48 hours after donating
When you donate bone marrow stem cells, you’ll be put under general anaesthesia and a needle will be inserted in your pelvic bone to collect bone marrow. The patient typically receives the stem cell transplant within 24 to 48 hours of harvesting.
While donating
Bone marrow donation requires staying in hospital for 24 hours. The procedure itself usually takes 45 to 90 minutes.
After donating
After you donate, you will probably feel fatigued, and you may feel sore where the needle was inserted. Bone marrow donors say that it feels like a bruise you’d get after falling down. You can take acetaminophen for the discomfort. Donors typically resume their daily activities four to seven days after donating.
Demystifying stem cell donation
Stem cell donation, like blood donation, is a voluntary, unpaid act. Thanks to the precious generosity of ordinary people who make an extraordinary gesture, thousands of families see their lives changed forever. Travel, hospital and medical expenses related to the donation are fully reimbursed by Héma-Québec. However, Héma-Québec does not offer financial compensation for time missed at work. Most employers are nevertheless open to granting special leave to staff members who commit to making such a precious gesture.
If you are hesitant to register with the Stem Cell Donor Registry for reasons of confidentiality, please be assured that we will maintain your anonymity at all stages of the process. The Héma-Québec registry, affiliated international registries and transplant centers adhere to very strict confidentiality criteria. However, if you wish to meet the person who will receive your donation, and that person also wishes to meet you, you may be put in touch with him or her after one year. In Quebec, this is the minimum period required by law.