Bone marrow is a spongy material that is found inside some hollow bones.
The bone marrow contains stem cells which develop into the three different types of blood cells:
- red blood cells, which carry oxygen to all cells in the body
- white blood cells, which are essential for fighting infection
- platelets, which help the blood to clot and prevent bleeding.
When the cells are fully mature they are released into the bloodstream. Stem cells can be collected from either bone marrow or blood.
Very high doses of chemotherapy destroy the bone marrow. So after high-dose chemotherapy, your child is given stem cells as a drip into their central line. The stem cells make their way into your child’s bone marrow and start producing mature blood cells again.