Blood Donor: Is it safe to donate blood if you have a blood condition?

@nypara66 After my Systemic Lupus diagnosis in 1988, I was advised to not donate blood any longer. That was a sad time for me, as I also had just found out I was a match to be a bone marrow donor for someone in need. We decided it was in everyone's safety and best interest that my blood products not be considered. I would never want to knowingly donate an unsafe product, nor expose anyone to to less-than-perfect blood products!

In 2016 my husband received a deceased donor kidney. In the middle of 2017 his transplant team called him in a panic, as the other kidney recipient from the same donor had contracted Hepatitis C. Everyone was tested, and it was discovered the other kidney recipient had latent Hepatitis C. While they were relieved to find this out, the transplant team certainly had a scare, thinking their donor has passed something on to the recipients!
Ginger

I would NEVER knowingly donate something that I knew was possibly unsafe for anyone. My husband is also a transplant recipient. He had a liver transplant. I’m happy yours was not given the Hep C kidney. That is unbelievable that that even happened. On a good note, they can now cure Hep C but the meds are 80k. I truly think my doctor just wanted me to “Dump” my blood before my final diagnosis because my hematocrit and platelets were crazy high. Insurance won’t cover phlebotomies until deemed medically necessary, meaning I had to have the diagnosis first.

@nypara66 My husband's donor did not have Hep C. It turned out the other kidney recipient from the same donor, had latent Hep C, that was stirred up when he got his new kidney! So, the transplant team tested everyone to find where that hep c case came from.
Ginger

Wow that is some story! Hopefully he could get the meds and cure it but we both know about the intense drug regimen after transplant and it takes the body’s a long while to adjust to the meds. after surgery. My husband just had his 7 year anniversary last week and is doing well. I’m very grateful!

@dianegrant I don't believe you should donate blood with MGUS or any blood related condition. Have you heard otherwise?

Althought this is a site based in the United Kingdom, my bet it is the same here in the United States: https://www.transfusionguidelines.org/dsg/wb/guidelines/ha001-haematological-disease#:~:text=Must%20not%20donate%20if%3A,of%20unknown%20significance%20(MGUS).
Ginger

I was diagnosed with Polycythemia Vera 3 years ago. My treatment included regular phlebotomies every couple of weeks during the first 6 or 8 months. It also included medication- (hydroxyurea) - which seemed to stabilize my blood count numbers to where I no longer needed phlebotomy visits . But I’m told that this condition makes me ineligible to donate blood. It really bothered me to watch that bag full of my extracted blood get tossed in the waste bin.
Any idea of any organizations that might have a use for that blood given my condition? Thanks

@beebo, I can understand not wanting your blood to merely be tossed into the waste bin. It does seems a shame that blood removed during a phlebotomy visit must be discarded. However, safety comes first.

Most blood donation centers and organizations do not take blood from people with blood disorders.