OpenIDEO’s latest challenge is a partnership with Stanford’s Haas Center and an inspiring group of students running an initiative called 100kCheeks.
Bone Marrow Donation is a complex problem: although there are national Bone Marrow Registres such as the BetheMatch US site, it’s still hard for many people to find a match who desperately require a transplant in order to stand a chance of fighting cancers such as leukemia. Worst of all the registry is not terribly diverse in it’s ethnic makeup. Bone marrow is not the same as blood donation; you need a genetic match in order to have a successful transplant. Patients from South Asian decent in particular find it hard to find a match. Read this fascinating account of one Stanford student’s struggle.
You can see why it’s so important to think creatively about solutions to increase the number of donors. The problem is compounded by the misconceptions that surround the proceedure. How do you donate bone marrow? Most people think ‘pain’ at the very thought. In fact 80% of the time (it depends on the health of the donor, the facilities, and the doctor), it’s not massively different from donating blood, and to completely debunk the big myth: it’s painless and you don’t need an anaesthetic nor do you need to take weeks off work. Admittedly the remaining 20% requires a local anaesthetic and there can be some lower back soreness for a few days after. But consider the upside: it’s not like you’re just stocking up the general marrow supplies; donating marrow has a 1:1 relationship on the life of another person and you’ll only be required to donate if someone is in a life–critical state and if are a potential match.
Jennifer Aaker and team created this compelling video that eloquently describes the very real issue.
Our OpenIDEO challenge starts by asking for inspiration around some key issue areas that relate to the problem, there are four specific ways you can contribute in this phase:
– Identify innovation in the bone marrow, blood, organ, and tissue donation space.
– Share your own personal experiences donating or receiving bone marrow, blood, or any other physical donation.
– What examples of ripple effects have you experienced or learned about?
– What Have We Missed?
Come and inspire us here: bit.ly/oi-bonemarrow
To sign up to the US bone marrow registry go here: http://bit.ly/100kcheeks.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jennifer Aaker, 360Events&Promotions, Anthony Luckett, openIDEO, Nathan Waterhouse and others. Nathan Waterhouse said: new blog post "Make an impact on Bone Marrow Donation" http://bit.ly/eHdcts about @Stanford @HaasCenter@100kcheeks #OpenIDEO challenge [...]
Many of the International Marrow Donor Registries share potential donor lists for poslbise patient matching. The U.K. and U.S. registries certainly do this.If one does register, remember that it is really a long-term commitment to be available for future individuals who need this treatment. Essentially you would be registering for people just like Amit.It is actually a match of adult stem cells that is important, not the bone marrow per se, bone marrow is the source of adult stem cells. The donation process involves harvesting these stem cells to be transferred to the patient. Becoming a potential donor involves submitting a swap (or blood sample) so that a small portion of DNA can be analyzed to determine the genetic signature for stem cell matching. This is also why matches are highly dependent upon ancestry.
Sveltin
Many thanks for your comment and insights.
Nathan
You’re giving me chlils just thinking about what if it was a child I know. My dad actually has a bone marrow disease similar to leukemia, but unfortunately he’s not a candidate for a bone marrow transplant, at least not right now. You are such a wonderful person to be willing to do this. I hope you’re a match and you can help save this little boy’s life!