September 15, 2021
AABB is proud to join organizations from throughout the world in recognizing the seventh annual World Marrow Donor Day (WMDD) on Saturday, Sept. 18. The World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA) established WMDD to thank individuals who volunteer to be listed on donor-matching registries and those who have donated the life-saving gift of bone marrow. WMDD also offers patients and donors the opportunity to explain the impact of blood stem cell transplantation on their lives.
Health care providers use marrow and stem cell transplants to treat more than 70 diseases, including leukemia, lymphoma, aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, and inherited immune deficiencies and metabolic disorders. According to WMDA, more than 20,000 patients receive blood stem cells each year from the 35 million donors registered worldwide. However, a potential match is not found for every patient, and finding a matching donor can be particularly difficult for ethnic minorities or patients of mixed race. WMDA offers an online tool to assist individuals interested in registering as donors.
AABB encourages individuals and organizations to join the 24-hour virtual WMDD celebration and share their WMDD activities using the #WMDD2021 hashtag. Additional resources to celebrate WMDD are available online.