Because it is he who gave me bone marrow for my transplant. It may not be obvious, but in my mind, I see a difference since I received his marrow. It seems as if it created a bond between us, but it is hard to explain with words. I feel closer to him, and I love him enormously, even if I don't always show it. In some instances, bone marrow transplantation can be replaced by a technique called peripheral stem cell transplantation in which either autologous or allogeneic stem cells are harvested from the blood stream.
Blood is removed from the donor and the stem cells are separated from other blood cells.
The stem cells are then given to the patient by intravenous infusion. Peripheral stem cell transplants may have advantages over bone marrow transplants in that stem cells are easier and less painful to obtain from donors, the number of stem cells that can be harvested is greater, and blood cell recovery is generally more rapid. However, clinical trials comparing peripheral stem cell transplant with bone marrow transplant are needed to provide clear evidence of the superiority of one method over the other. Therefore, ongoing research into better ways to treat children and teenagers with cancer is required. Since childhood cancer is not common, clinical research to find even more effective treatments is conducted in collaboration with international childhood cancer groups.