Hi @don1stborn. You could be a lifesaver for your brother if you qualify as a donor match. I’m a stem cell transplant surviver of almost 5 years. It is truly a gift of a second chance so I hope you’re a match for your brother!

The process of matching is complicated and from what I understand, about 70% of patients won’t have a family member who matches. So don’t feel bad if this does happen. However, getting tested is the first step!

Blood type doesn’t really matter. The doctor will be checking proteins or markers found in most cells of the body called, Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) . They will also run a full DNA panel to match your proteins to your brother.

The closer the match to your brother the more the better. Most stem cell centers try to match 10/10 or 12/12 to help avoid any graft vs host disease issues which can develop if the match isn’t very close.

Mayo Clinic uses Be The Match foundation for procurement of bone marrow stem cells and have an international registry for/of donors. They are also helpful in having potential donors tested.
Here is a good article to help you understand the process. https://bethematch.org/support-the-cause/donate-blood-stem-cells/how-matching-works/

Has your brother’s transplant team already taken your blood sample?