[nikolaplejic]

(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, but was closely present during a long lasting treatment of acute myeloid leukemia with no suitable donor in sight.)

To help folks suffering from leukemia in general, join your local bone marrow registry. Transplants can vastly improve the patient's chances of survival, and the typization process you need to go through to join is painless and harmless. But, more importantly: if they find you a match, do not back down. I've heard of cases where the potential donors got scared and gave up upon receiving the phone call.

There are two types of transplants used in treatments: stem cell and bone marrow transplants.

Stem cell transplants are relatively painless -- it's not entirely unlike dialysis for one's blood. Bone marrow transplants are far less trivial, requiring general anesthesia and a couple of days in the hospital. They are are, from what I could gather, far less common and more dangerous.

Also: when / if you join, try to talk all your friends into joining as well. :)