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People wanting to donate stem cells or join a volunteer registry can speak with their doctors or contact the National Marrow Donor Program to find the nearest donor center. Potential donors are asked some questions to make sure they are healthy enough to donate and don't pose an unacceptable risk of infection to the recipient. For more information about donor eligibility guidelines, contact the National Marrow Donor Program or the donor center in your area.In a typical stem cell transplant high doses of chemotherapy are used, sometimes along with radiation therapy, to treat the cancer. This treatment also kills the stem cells in the bone marrow. In some diseases, like aplastic anemia, treatment is meant to kill the existing bone marrow to make room for new stem cells. Very soon after treatment, a stem cell transplant is done to provide new stem cells that will grow into healthy blood cells. These normal stem cells are given into a vein, much like a blood transfusion. Over time they will settle in the bone marrow and begin to grow and make blood cells. This process is called engraftment. All of the blood cells in our bodies start out as young (immature) cells called hematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cells. Even though they are often called "stem cells" these cells are not the same as the embryonic stem cells studied in therapeutic cloning and other types of research. People usually volunteer to become stem cell donors either because they have a family member in need of a match or because they want to help people they don't know.

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