Once referred for consultation, our Program Assistant will call to set up an initial family conference. We ask that parents/legal guardians (both if applicable) be present for the initial consultation, in addition to the patient. If there are additional family members or caregivers that you would like present, please feel free to invite them as well. At this initial meeting, a BMT Physician, BMT coordinator, Social Worker and Child Life Specialist will discuss the process of BMT. We encourage you to ask questions at this visit and after if questions arise.

If it is determined, that you or your child will proceed to BMT, the first step is to find a suitable donor. For patients undergoing autologous BMT (we collect the patient’s own hematopoietic progenitor cells then we re-infuse it to the patient after receiving high dose chemotherapy/radiation), this is not an issue as you will donate cells for yourself. For patients, with siblings, we will test your siblings to see if they are a match and can serve as the donor. If you have no related donors available, we will search for an unrelated donor. If you are eligible for clinical trials, someone from the study team will make sure you are offered the chance to participate. Many successes in the field of Pediatric BMT are owed to participation of patients in clinical trials.

Once a donor is identified and a target date for BMT has been determined, we initiate a pre-BMT assessment. This will include having many tests performed to ensure that you are healthy enough to undergo BMT and to ensure we choose the right preparative regimen for your transplant. Our Program staff will work closely with you to ensure this is completed in a timely manner to avoid delays in proceeding to BMT. Your donor will also undergo a comprehensive assessment to ensure that he/she is healthy enough to serve as a donor. If your donor is a relative, he/she will be independently assessed and consented for donation by another physician. A donor advocate is always available to ensure the rights of the donor are protected.