Resources for Individuals 
Memorial Blood Centers offers the following resources for individuals:

• Children's Transplant Services: Children with cancer are able to donate their own white blood cells, bone marrow, and stem cells to be used for their own transplant at a later date. Memorial Blood Center staff will go to their hospital room to gather these, then bring them back after the child's chemotherapy is treated

• Apheresis Angels: Memorial Blood Centers' Apheresis Angels Program pairs special-blood-needs patients with specifically matched donors.  While most people who receive blood transfusions need only a match from the eight types (O+, O-, A+,A-, B+, B-, AB+ and AB-), others require more specifically matched blood products.  Sometimes frequently transfused patients no longer respond to transfusion treatment as expected.  A patient who receives multiple transfusions from many donors may build up antibodies to different antigens that naturally occur on another person's platelets.  A platelet transfusion from a donor who has the same or similar antigens are generally more successful.  Apheresis Angels are blood donors who agree to have their blood HLA typed and be on call to donate for specific patients.

• The Sickle Cell Disease Program: Sickle cell disease is a blood disease affecting primarily individuals of African descent.  it is caused by an altered inherited form of hemoglobin, a protein that enables red blood cells to carry oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body.  Red blood cells with normal hemoglobin are smooth and round and they glide easily through the blood vessels.  In the bodies of people with sickle cell disease, the cells assume a curved or sickle shape, becoming hard and sticky, thus blocking blood flow and causing organ damage.  The Sickle Cell Donor Program recruits African-Americans to donate blood and be tested for the sickle cell trait.  Those who are sickle trait negative are candidates to donate for sickle cell disease patients.