National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) - Official Site.
ABCs of Marrow or Blood Cell Donation - from NMDP official site.
Steps of Marrow and PBSC Donation - from NMDP official site.

Asian Indians can accept bone marrow from another Asian Indian only. If you are an Asian Indian, between age of 18 and 60, and meet the health guidelines, you can be a donor.

Donors blood group does NOT matter.

As long as the woman is healthy, she can donate the marrow. There is no set time. Marrow bank will make sure that the person is medically fit before they draw the marrow.

There is NO restriction in doing blood test and donating the marrow. Visiting India or any other country is not a restriction for marrow donation.

There are NO long-term side effects for the donor. Your marrow is completely replaced by your body within four to six weeks.

1. Join the Registry
Anyone age 18 - 60 who meets the health guidelines can join. Volunteers should be committed to helping any patient. To join, you complete a short health questionnaire and sign a form stating that you understand what it means to be listed on the Registry. Then, a small blood sample is taken to find your tissue type. This information is added to the Registry.

2. Stay committed and available
Doctors search the Registry to find a donor whose tissue type matches their patient's. If you are chosen, your donor center will contact you. If you agree, more testing will be scheduled.

3. Attend an information session
You will meet with staff from your donor center to learn about the donation process, risks and side effects. You are free to bring a friend or family member. You will also be told which source of blood-forming cells is being requested - either collected from the marrow or from the circulating blood (known as a PBSC donation). You will then decide whether or not to donate.

4. Receive a physical exam
If you agree to donate, you will be given a physical exam to discover if donating would pose any special risks to you or the patient.

5. Marrow donation
Marrow donation is a surgical procedure. While you receive anesthesia, doctors use special, hollow needles to withdraw liquid marrow from the back of your pelvic bones. Many donors receive a transfusion of their own previously donated blood.

6. Side effects and recovery
You can expect to feel some soreness in your lower back for a few days or longer. Most donors are back to their normal routine in a few days. Your marrow is completely replaced within four to six weeks.

7. Follow-up
Your NMDP donor center coordinator will follow up with you until you are able to resume normal activity.

Registering
•   While registering, take a simple blood test. 5-7 drops of blood is drawn from the arm.
•   If you are identified as an initial match, an additional blood test will have to be done.
•   Donating Bone Marrow is NOT like donating kidney or another organ.

Donating Bone Marrow
If you are the one potential match out of 10,000 donors and agree to save Ashish’s life; the following is the donor procedure
•   Under anesthesia 10-15cc of bone marrow is drawn from the back of your pelvic bone using a needle.
•   This is about 3% of your total bone marrow.

Donor's Recovery
•   Most donors are back to normal routine next day.
•   You can expect some soreness in your lower back for couple of days.
•   Your marrow is completely replaced by your body within four to six weeks.

No Side effects
•   There are NO long-term side effects for the donor.