How to become a bone marrow donor in Crimea

About 4,800 Crimeans have already joined the federal register of bone marrow and stem cell donors. Deputy Chief Physician of GBUZ RK “Blood Center” Anton Skoromny on the air of “Radio Crimea” explained how the procedure goes and why entry into the register does not mean immediate delivery of stem cells.

In the Crimean Blood Center, acquaintance with bone marrow donation, as a rule, begins with the usual donation of blood. If a person shows interest and is suitable for age, the staff will hold a conversation and talk about the possibility of joining the register. This approach allows the future donor to make a conscious decision.

You can enter the register from the age of 18. As for the upper age limit, the Crimean Blood Center is guided by 35-40 years. To enter, you need to take a small blood sample - three milliliters - and fill out the application.

After a few days, the test tube will be sent to a specialized laboratory for genotyping. The obtained data allow to select potential donors for patients who require transplantation.

Entry into the register does not mean immediate donation of stem cells. A person replenishes the base of potential donors, which is used by federal centers performing transplants.

According to the Ministry of Health of the Republic, for seven months of 2026, 729 residents of the region joined the federal register, of which 98 people joined it in July. By August, the register consisted of 4,440 Crimeans, and five residents of the republic have already become real donors.

Special attention is paid to young people. In January-September 2026, the share of Crimeans aged 18-25 years in the federal register increased from 35.5% to 47.7%. This is facilitated by educational campaigns: the Blood Center, for example, wrote a children's book on bone marrow transplantation and prepared an unusual play.

According to the chief doctor of the Blood Center Lyudmila Gorelikova, doctors at donor points in parallel with the main work attract people to donate bone marrow. In April 2026, the head of the Crimea Sergey Aksyonov reported that over the past year more than 24.2 thousand residents of the republic became donors, and 3.7 thousand Crimeans are in the federal register of bone marrow donors.