In response to Master Cheng Yen’s appeal of “saving a life without bringing harm to self,” Tzu Chi established the first bone marrow donor registry in October 1993 in Taiwan to help patients with blood diseases.

As of November 2005, the registry had collected data from more than 280,000 potential donors, making it the world's largest Chinese bone marrow data bank. Tzu Chi Singapore started the collaboration with Singapore’s Bone Marrow Donor Programme (BMDP) in 1997 and has since worked together on a yearly donor recruitment drive. A total of 2004 bone marrow data had been collected by the end of 2005, increasing the hope for survival for victims of blood disease.

In 1999, a couple came to Tzu Chi to seek help on treating their 18 year old son, Jeremy. The youngster was diagnosed with aplastic anemia, a syndrome of bone-marrow failure characterized by peripheral pancytopenia and marrow hypoplasia. Luckily, a marrow match was found through the Tzu Chi Bone Marrow Registry in Taiwan and Jeremy was provided the bone marrow transplant he needed. However, his condition deteriorated due to an acute rejection and he passed away on April 2004 despite much rescue attempts. Jeremy’s case is an example of Tzu Chi’s volunteers’ deep respect for lives.

Though the success rate of a compatible match is 1 : 10,000, every blood sample signifies a hope for the potential recipient of bone marrow.	Though young Jeremy lost his battle eventually, his parents were brave enough to come forth to share their experience with the public.