WE AT the South Wales Argus are asking our readers to turn up to our swab event on Saturday April 20 at Riverside Suite, Newport Centre between 10am and 4pm.

Here are answers to some of your frequently asked questions about bone marrow donation ahead of the event.

How old must you be to donate?

You must be between 16 and 55 and once signed up, you will stay on the combined register until you are 60. The lower age limit of 16 is due to needing informed consent as parents or guardians cannot give informed consent due to donation being voluntary. The upper age limit is to protect the donor as an increased age can have complications and risks from anaesthetic.

Are there any conditions that mean I cannot donate?

Unfortunately, there are. If you suffer from severe mental health illnesses including schizophrenia, severe depression, borderline syndrome, psychosis or manic disorders then you would not be able to donate as the weight of being a donor and the process can further impact the mental health of the donor. Some treatments for mental health conditions can also affect the blood count, drugs like neuroleptics fall into this category.

Any form of diabetes or rheumatism will also prevent you from being able to sign up as it can be possible for the conditions to be passed to the patient due to the cells being taken from the autoimmune system, which the conditions affect and this can cause a negative and possibly fatal reaction in the patient.

If you have had cancer or a non-benign tumour in the past, then you will not be able to join the register.

Epilepsy sufferers who have been seizure free for more than 12 months without needing medication can register, however, if you have had a seizure in the past 12 months or seizures are related to a problem with or injury to the brain then you would not be able to.

South Wales Argus:

What if I have a condition not listed above?

If your condition is one of the following: mild depression that doesn’t limit daily life or is treated by Citalopram or Fluoxetine, thyroid issues that are not Graves Disease, stable and well controlled high blood pressure, hay fever or mild asthma that does not lead to attacks, food allergies or iron -deficiency anaemia then you can still become a donor.

Can I join the register when I am pregnant or breast feeding?

You can join the register; however, you will have to be deactivated from the register until six months after the birth of your baby or until you stop breast feeding. It is recommended that you wait until the time has passed before registering.

For more information, you can visit https://www.dkms.org.uk/en/frequently-asked-questions or https://www.anthonynolan.org/frequently-asked-questions