How old do you have to be to join the bone marrow donor registry?

You can register from the age of majority up to and including 35 (provided you're in good health). Why this age limit? Because grafts taken from young people are richer in hematopoietic stem cells. This is ideal, as it means a faster transplant for patients! What's more, a donor is contacted a median of 8 years after registering: the younger you register, the greater your chances of being asked to help a patient.

Are you over 35 and unable to join the bone marrow donor registry? The good news is that you can help thousands of patients by donating blood, platelets or plasma.