Granulocyte Donation: The White Cell War

You've heard of Platelet donation. But have you heard of Granulocytes?

Who Needs It?

Patients (usually cancer/leukemia) who have ZERO white blood cells (Neutropenia) and a severe, life-threatening bacterial/fungal infection. Antibiotics aren't working. They need your white cells to fight the war for them.

The Procedure

It's tougher than regular donation. You take a medication (G-CSF) to boost your white cells beforehand. The donation takes 2-3 hours. It's rare, but it is the ultimate act of heroism.