The campaign, named UMÉdula, coincides with the commemoration of World Bone Marrow Donor Day and has a dual objective: to facilitate the incorporation of new donors into the Spanish Bone Marrow Donor Registry (REDMO) and to promote blood donation.
In Tenerife, the event will take place tomorrow, Friday, at the Plaza de Los Remedios, in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, from 9:00 AM to 7:30 PM. Samples will be taken for HLA typing and registration for REDMO, as well as regular blood donations. There will also be a solidarity blood donation marathon and recreational-sports activities such as rowing, stationary cycling, and table tennis.
In Gran Canaria, the collection will be held on Sunday, September 20th, outside the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium. The mobile unit will attend donors from 10:00 AM to 1:45 PM and from 5:00 PM to 8:45 PM.
Bone marrow donation is crucial, as approximately 75% of patients needing a hematopoietic stem cell transplant do not have a compatible family member and depend on the anonymous registry (REDMO). The probability of finding an unrelated compatible donor is about 1 in 3,500, so increasing the number of young donors (aged 18 to 40) significantly enhances the chances of saving lives.
Requirements to register as a bone marrow donor include being healthy, aged between 18 and 40, not having transmissible diseases, and remaining active in the database until age 60. Registration is completed via a web form and a blood draw for HLA typing.
To donate blood, individuals must be between 18 and 65 years old (up to 60 for a first-time donation), weigh over 50 kilograms, be in generally good health, and not be pregnant. Information and donation points can be found by calling 900 234 061 or visiting efectodonacion.com.
Various fixed blood donation points are detailed in Tenerife (Santa Cruz de Tenerife, San Isidro, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, Hospiten Bellevue, Hospital San Juan de Dios) and in Gran Canaria (Alfonso XIII, Santa Lucía de Tirajana, Hospital Insular, Hospital Materno Infantil, Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Dr. Negrín, Hospiten Roca San Agustín).
