The National Marrow Donor Program^® (NMDP) Office of Patient Advocacy has launched a new Patient Resources Web site to provide information and resources to transplant patients and their families. The Patient Resources site (http://www.marrow.org/patient) includes information that can help patients and their families:

• Talk with their doctors
• Choose a transplant center
• Understand the role of the caregiver
• Manage financial or insurance matters
• Prepare for life after transplant
• Connect with other organizations that can help

"Dealing with a major illness creates tremendous stress that can affect the whole family," said Elizabeth Murphy, director, NMDP Office of Patient Advocacy. "The NMDP's Office of Patient Advocacy is available to help relieve some of that stress. The new Patient Resource Web site is another valuable tool to help connect patients to the information and resources they need."

The Office of Patient Advocacy is staffed with trained case managers with a variety of backgrounds such as clinical social work, public health and education. They provide one-on-one guidance throughout the transplant process - from diagnosis through survivorship - and in some cases act as direct liaisons, connecting patients to other valuable resources.

Each year thousands of people are diagnosed with life-threatening diseases such as leukemia and other blood disorders. For many of these patients, a marrow or cord blood transplant could be their best - or only - hope of a cure. In the best of circumstances, a transplant is a complex and physically demanding procedure.

For patients without a matching donor in their family, the search for an unrelated donor or cord blood unit adds additional stress to the situation. Patients and their families need information, resources and support to help them understand their treatment options and make informed decisions about their care.

All NMDP patient advocacy services and resources are free and also available to patients and families outside of the United States. To speak with someone in the NMDP's Office of Patient Advocacy, call (888) 999-6743 or (612) 627-8140 outside of the United States or e-mail patientinfo@nmdp.org. Interpreters are available.