Bone Marrow Care in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Bone marrow is the soft, spongy tissue found in the hollow centers of long bones such as the hips, thighs, and arms. It acts as the body’s blood cell “factory,” producing:

  • Red blood cells – carry oxygen throughout the body
  • White blood cells – fight infection
  • Platelets – help blood clot and prevent excessive bleeding

Healthy bone marrow releases mature blood cells into the bloodstream as the body needs them. Without properly functioning bone marrow, your body cannot make enough healthy blood cells to stay well.

In Grand Rapids, bone marrow disorders and bone marrow transplants are typically evaluated and treated by hematology and oncology specialists at major health systems such as Corewell Health (formerly Spectrum Health), Trinity Health Grand Rapids, University of Michigan Health-West (Metro Health), and Mercy Health.

How Illness and Treatment Can Affect Bone Marrow

Certain diseases and medical treatments can damage or destroy bone marrow. When this happens, the body cannot produce enough new blood cells to:

  • Fight infections
  • Carry oxygen efficiently
  • Control bleeding

In some cases, a bone marrow transplant (also called a stem cell transplant) from a healthy donor is the best or only treatment option.

Cold Michigan winters and seasonal infections (like influenza and respiratory viruses) can be especially risky for people with weak bone marrow or low white blood cell counts. If you live in Grand Rapids and are being treated for a bone marrow condition, your care team will usually recommend extra precautions during flu season and winter months.

Diseases That Affect the Bone Marrow

Several serious conditions begin in, or significantly affect, the bone marrow. These are typically managed by hematology/oncology teams in Grand Rapids.

Leukemia

Leukemia is a type of blood cancer that starts in the bone marrow. Abnormal white blood cells grow out of control and crowd out normal blood cells.

Causes

The exact cause of most leukemias is not known. Risk factors may include:

  • Previous chemotherapy or radiation
  • Certain genetic conditions
  • Exposure to some chemicals

However, many people develop leukemia without any clear risk factor.

Symptoms

Common leukemia symptoms include:

  • Anemia (tiredness, weakness, shortness of breath)
  • Easy bruising or bleeding
  • Frequent nosebleeds
  • Recurrent infections
  • Bone or joint pain

Treatment

In Grand Rapids, leukemia treatment is usually coordinated through cancer centers at:

  • Corewell Health Cancer Center
  • Trinity Health Grand Rapids Cancer Center
  • Metro Health – University of Michigan Health Cancer services

Treatment options may include:

  • Chemotherapy (anti-cancer drugs)
  • Radiation therapy
  • Targeted therapies or immunotherapy
  • Bone marrow (stem cell) transplant from a compatible donor

Reticulum Cell Sarcoma of Bone (Lymphoma of Bone Marrow)

Reticulum cell sarcoma of bone (often grouped under certain lymphomas of the bone or bone marrow) is a rare cancer that can occur more often in males than females.

Symptoms

  • Bone pain
  • Swelling over affected bones
  • Sometimes fractures with minor injury

Treatment

Treatment is usually managed by oncology specialists and may include:

  • Radiation therapy
  • Chemotherapy, depending on the exact type and stage

If you have persistent bone pain or swelling in Grand Rapids, your primary care provider or local urgent care clinic can refer you to a specialist at a local health system for further evaluation.

Aplastic Anemia

Aplastic anemia is a serious condition where the bone marrow stops making enough new blood cells. It is more common in people aged 15 to 30, but can occur at any age.

Causes

Aplastic anemia can be:

  • Present at birth (inherited)
  • Caused by certain drugs, chemicals, or radiation
  • Associated with some viral infections

In many cases, the cause is unknown.

Symptoms

  • Weakness and fatigue
  • Fever and frequent infections
  • Skin hemorrhages (small red or purple spots, easy bruising)
  • Shortness of breath

Treatment

Treatment options may include:

  • Blood transfusions for temporary support
  • Medications to suppress the immune system
  • Bone marrow (stem cell) transplant in severe cases

Patients with severe aplastic anemia may die without a successful transplant. In West Michigan, these transplants are typically coordinated through regional transplant centers, often in partnership with large academic medical centers in Michigan.

Defective or Weak Immune System (Immunodeficiency)

Some children (and occasionally adults) are born with a defective immune system, making them unable to fight infections effectively. In some of these conditions, the problem lies in the bone marrow’s ability to produce healthy immune cells.

Treatment

  • Blood and immune globulin transfusions may help reduce infections
  • Bone marrow transplant may be needed in the most serious cases

Pediatric immunology and transplant care for families in the Grand Rapids area is usually coordinated through children’s hospitals and specialty clinics affiliated with major health systems and regional centers.

What Is a Bone Marrow (Stem Cell) Transplant?

A bone marrow transplant replaces damaged or diseased bone marrow with healthy blood-forming cells from a donor (or sometimes from the patient’s own previously collected cells).

How the Procedure Works

  1. Preparation (Conditioning)
    The recipient receives high-dose chemotherapy and sometimes radiation therapy to:

    • Destroy diseased bone marrow cells
    • Suppress the immune system to reduce rejection

  2. Infusion of Donor Cells
    Healthy bone marrow or stem cells from the donor are infused into a vein, similar to a blood transfusion.

  3. Engraftment
    The donor cells travel through the bloodstream to the bone marrow spaces, settle there, and begin producing new, healthy blood cells. This process is called engraftment and is closely monitored by the transplant team.

After a transplant, patients in Grand Rapids often have frequent follow-up visits for blood tests, infection monitoring, and medication adjustments. Because Michigan winters can increase the risk of respiratory infections, transplant teams may recommend masks, vaccinations, and avoiding crowded indoor spaces during recovery.

Becoming a Bone Marrow Donor in Grand Rapids, MI

Donating bone marrow (or blood stem cells) can save someone’s life. Donors are matched with patients who need a transplant to survive.

Who Can Donate?

In general, potential bone marrow donors should:

  • Be 18 to 45 years old (some registries accept older donors for certain procedures)
  • Be in good overall health
  • Have no history of cancer (with some exceptions)
  • Meet screening criteria for infectious diseases

Just like blood donors, bone marrow donors must answer specific health and lifestyle questions to reduce the risk of passing infections to recipients.

Tissue Typing and Matching

Everyone has a unique tissue type (HLA type), similar to blood groups but more complex.

  • The best match is often a brother or sister
  • Unfortunately, only about 1 in 4 patients has a suitable family donor
  • For others, doctors search large national and international donor registries

Because there are many different tissue types, a very large donor registry is needed to find matches—especially for patients from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Grand Rapids’ growing diversity makes local participation in donor registries especially important to help patients of all backgrounds.

How Matching Works

  1. Initial Registration

    • You complete a health questionnaire.
    • A blood sample or cheek swab is taken to determine your tissue type.
    • Your information is stored in a confidential registry.

  2. If You’re a Possible Match

    • You’ll be contacted for additional blood tests to confirm the match.
    • Doctors choose the donor whose tissue type is closest to the patient’s.

In practice, the chance of being selected as a donor is relatively small, but every registered donor increases the chance that someone in need—possibly here in West Michigan—will find a match.

How Bone Marrow Is Collected From a Donor

There are two main ways to donate blood-forming cells: bone marrow donation and peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation. Your transplant team will explain which method is best for the patient.

Bone Marrow Donation (From the Hip Bones)

  • The donor receives a general anesthetic so they are asleep and do not feel pain.
  • A doctor uses a syringe and needle to withdraw liquid marrow from the hip bones (pelvis).
  • The procedure does not damage the bones, but donors may feel soreness in the hip area for a few days.

Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSC) Donation

  • The donor receives medication for several days to move stem cells from the bone marrow into the bloodstream.
  • Blood is drawn from one arm, passed through a machine that collects stem cells, and returned through the other arm.
  • This is done as an outpatient procedure in most cases.

All donor information is kept confidential. Only the transplant team and tissue typing laboratory can link your identity to your tissue type and donation records.

Confidentiality and Donor Rights

Bone marrow donor registries follow strict privacy and ethical standards. In the United States, registries and hospitals must comply with:

  • HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
  • Institutional review boards and ethics committees

In the Grand Rapids area, hospital ethics committees and research oversight boards ensure that donors and recipients are protected and fully informed throughout the process.

Local Resources for Bone Marrow and Blood Disorders in Grand Rapids

If you live in Grand Rapids or West Michigan and have questions about bone marrow disorders, leukemia, aplastic anemia, or bone marrow donation, you can start with:

Local Healthcare Systems

  • Corewell Health (Spectrum Health) – Grand Rapids
    Hematology/Oncology and transplant services
  • Trinity Health Grand Rapids
    Cancer and blood disorder care
  • University of Michigan Health-West (Metro Health)
    Oncology and infusion services
  • Mercy Health (regional network)
    Cancer and hematology services

Public Health and Community Resources

  • Kent County Health Department – information on vaccinations, infection prevention, and local health programs
  • Grand Rapids Public Health resources – community health education and support services
  • Local chapters of national organizations such as:
    • Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
    • American Cancer Society

Key Points About Bone Marrow and Transplants

  • Bone marrow is the body’s blood cell factory, producing red cells, white cells, and platelets.
  • Serious illnesses like leukemia, aplastic anemia, and some immune disorders can destroy or severely damage bone marrow.
  • In some cases, the best treatment is a bone marrow (stem cell) transplant from a healthy donor.
  • The exact cause of many bone marrow diseases is unknown.
  • Common symptoms of bone marrow problems include anemia, bruising, nosebleeds, bone pain, swelling, fever, and frequent infections.
  • Bone marrow donation is safe for most healthy adults and can save a life, including patients right here in Grand Rapids and across Michigan.

If you have symptoms such as persistent fatigue, unexplained bruising, frequent infections, or prolonged bone pain, contact your primary care provider or a hematologist/oncologist at a Grand Rapids health system for evaluation. Early diagnosis and treatment can significantly improve outcomes.