You can now register as a bone marrow donor by mail.

The Hawaii Bone Marrow Donor Registry at St. Francis Medical Center is now mailing out free bone marrow registration kits to Hawaii residents interested in becoming bone marrow donors.

Potential donors may call 547-6154 on Oahu or 1-877-HI-DONOR (443-6667) from the neighbor islands for a registration kit. The kit includes a registration form, buccal swabs similar to Q-tip swabs, and easy-to-follow instructions.

The only cost is for the 63 cents postage to mail the completed kit back to the registry.

The donor swabs the inside of his or her mouth and returns the sample and completed registration form back to the Bone Marrow Donor Registry. The form is then sent to the National Marrow Donor Program repository for testing and storage. All donor centers in the country started using the buccal swab technique in April.

The new mail procedure is easier for those who can’t make it to a scheduled bone marrow drive or are living on the Neighbor Islands.

Donors must be between the ages of 18 and 60 and in good general health. They need only to register once. If you have already registered and need to update your information, or would like more information about becoming a donor, call the registry at 547-6154, or visit the website at www.stfrancishawaii.org/hawaiibonemarrow.