Cord Blood Donor.
I am happy to report that as of this writing I have received the paperwork to donate my babies cord blood and stem cells. I was going to be unable to do it, but I found a place that will come and pick it up from the hospital and will transport it and keep it until it is needed for research or a transplant.
I AM THRILLED about it.
Cryobanks is currently involved in supporting research pursuing cures for ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), spinal cord repair and dermal wound repair. Cryobanks' corporate policy does not permit involvement in any research that is deemed controversial (cloning, embryonics) or cosmetic.
So the day that our son is born he may save someones life.
I got interested in the idea several months ago when a guy in Germany was cured by having a bone marrow transplant with stem cells that contained a natural mutation and were immune to HIV. The patient, an American living in Berlin, also had leukemia, which is best treated by a bone marrow transplant. Thinking they might be able to cure the man of both diseases, the physicians gave him a bone marrow transplant from a person with natural immunity to HIV. The patient has now lived for 20 months since the transplant without any detectable traces of HIV. What researchers discovered is that there is a natural mutation in less than 1 percent of caucasians that results in a lack of CCR5 receptors on any of their cells. CCR5 receptors are the first thing that HIV attacks to cause AIDS.
My husband was excited when I told him of my plans. Normally the hospital will discard the blood and the placenta as medical waste and I did not want that to happen this time. I am thrilled that I may help someone live a longer life.
I have filled out all the paperwork and I take it to the hospital in the morning for the Dr to sign and then I send it off. Cryobanks will then send me a collection kit and then I take that to the Dr. The day that Bradley is born they will collect the blood from the cord and the placenta and then Cryobanks sends a courier to pick it up.
Hopefully they will put it to good use. Who knows, Maybe Bradley will save someones life.
That would be awesome.
I have found something that just confirms our good decision to donate. I will share it with you.
The benefits of cord blood stem cells:
• Cord blood donated to a public Cord Blood Bank is an alternate stem cell source that avoids the ethical dilemma in harvesting embryonic stem cells, which requires killing embryos.
• Umbilical cord blood stem cells trigger little immune response in the recipient as opposed to embryonic stem cells which have a tendency to form tumors when injected into animals or human beings.
• Cord blood can be used as an alternative to bone marrow transplantation and to treat more than 70 diseases including Leukemia and Sickle Cell Anemia.
• Cord blood does not have to match as closely as bone marrow, so most (>90%) children will be able to find a donor within 1-2 weeks.
• Cord blood poses fewer risks than bone marrow transplants. Early studies show that the immune cells in cord blood from unrelated donors are less likely than those in bone marrow to attack the patient's own tissues (graft vs. host disease). Cord blood is also less likely to transmit viruses.
• Cord blood works for adults. Two studies confirm improved survival rates among adults who received cord blood transplants for leukemia.
• Cord blood collection is easy and risk-free. Cord blood collected from the delivered placenta or umbilical cord does not interfere with the care of the mother or newborn baby, posing no risk to mother or baby.
• Cord blood is available immediately. Cord blood stems cells are frozen and stored at public and private cord blood banks. When a suitable cord blood unit is found, it is guaranteed to be dispatched to a patient within one week or 24 hours in an emergency.
• Studies have shown certain cord blood stem cells have the capacity to change into other cell types, which give them the potential to help regenerate organs and treat many fatal, terminal and debilitating conditions, including spinal cord injury, Parkinson's, diabetes and heart disease. Researchers have turned cord blood stem cells into neural stem cells, nerve cells, liver/pancreas precursors, skeletal muscle, fat cells, bone cells and blood vessels.
Cord blood stem cells save lives:
• Neurological Diseases: Cord blood from unrelated donors was used to treat Krabbe's disease which produces progressive neurologic deterioration and death in early childhood. Most of the children were cured and achieved age-appropriate cognitive development.
• Spinal Cord Injuries: Hwang Mi-soon, who was paralyzed for 19 years, took her first steps after receiving transplanted cord blood stem cells.
• Sickle Cell Anemia: Keone Penn, 16 year old African-American received a cord blood stem cell transplant for sickle-cell anemia five years ago is now cured.
• Acute Leukemia (cancer):
o Gayle Serls, received a cord blood transplant and has since seen both children graduate and celebrated her own 50th birthday.
o Katherine Sutter, at 5 months old, received a cord blood transplant and is now cured.
• ALD (Adrenoleukodystrophy), an inherited disorder in which a protein that normally helps metabolize very long-chain fatty acids that leads progressive brian damage and death: Spencer Barsch, 2 year old, received a cord blood transplant and stopped cerebral changes from ALD.
• Osteoporosis: Anthony Dones, at 5 months old, received a cord blood transplant and is recovering.
• Diamond Blackfan Anemia, a disorder where no red blood cells are made, requiring monthly transfusions: Heidi Tweten received a cord blood stem cell transplant in her 20’s is now off anti-rejection medications for six years with normal blood counts and has since graduated from nursing school, got married, and adopted a baby boy.
• Hurler’s Syndrome, a disorder that affects a child's central nervous system and organs leading to mental retardation and possible death: Cord blood treatments for 20 children had an 85 percent success rate in treating the disease.
I AM THRILLED about it.
Cryobanks is currently involved in supporting research pursuing cures for ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), spinal cord repair and dermal wound repair. Cryobanks' corporate policy does not permit involvement in any research that is deemed controversial (cloning, embryonics) or cosmetic.
So the day that our son is born he may save someones life.
I got interested in the idea several months ago when a guy in Germany was cured by having a bone marrow transplant with stem cells that contained a natural mutation and were immune to HIV. The patient, an American living in Berlin, also had leukemia, which is best treated by a bone marrow transplant. Thinking they might be able to cure the man of both diseases, the physicians gave him a bone marrow transplant from a person with natural immunity to HIV. The patient has now lived for 20 months since the transplant without any detectable traces of HIV. What researchers discovered is that there is a natural mutation in less than 1 percent of caucasians that results in a lack of CCR5 receptors on any of their cells. CCR5 receptors are the first thing that HIV attacks to cause AIDS.
My husband was excited when I told him of my plans. Normally the hospital will discard the blood and the placenta as medical waste and I did not want that to happen this time. I am thrilled that I may help someone live a longer life.
I have filled out all the paperwork and I take it to the hospital in the morning for the Dr to sign and then I send it off. Cryobanks will then send me a collection kit and then I take that to the Dr. The day that Bradley is born they will collect the blood from the cord and the placenta and then Cryobanks sends a courier to pick it up.
Hopefully they will put it to good use. Who knows, Maybe Bradley will save someones life.
That would be awesome.
I have found something that just confirms our good decision to donate. I will share it with you.
The benefits of cord blood stem cells:
• Cord blood donated to a public Cord Blood Bank is an alternate stem cell source that avoids the ethical dilemma in harvesting embryonic stem cells, which requires killing embryos.
• Umbilical cord blood stem cells trigger little immune response in the recipient as opposed to embryonic stem cells which have a tendency to form tumors when injected into animals or human beings.
• Cord blood can be used as an alternative to bone marrow transplantation and to treat more than 70 diseases including Leukemia and Sickle Cell Anemia.
• Cord blood does not have to match as closely as bone marrow, so most (>90%) children will be able to find a donor within 1-2 weeks.
• Cord blood poses fewer risks than bone marrow transplants. Early studies show that the immune cells in cord blood from unrelated donors are less likely than those in bone marrow to attack the patient's own tissues (graft vs. host disease). Cord blood is also less likely to transmit viruses.
• Cord blood works for adults. Two studies confirm improved survival rates among adults who received cord blood transplants for leukemia.
• Cord blood collection is easy and risk-free. Cord blood collected from the delivered placenta or umbilical cord does not interfere with the care of the mother or newborn baby, posing no risk to mother or baby.
• Cord blood is available immediately. Cord blood stems cells are frozen and stored at public and private cord blood banks. When a suitable cord blood unit is found, it is guaranteed to be dispatched to a patient within one week or 24 hours in an emergency.
• Studies have shown certain cord blood stem cells have the capacity to change into other cell types, which give them the potential to help regenerate organs and treat many fatal, terminal and debilitating conditions, including spinal cord injury, Parkinson's, diabetes and heart disease. Researchers have turned cord blood stem cells into neural stem cells, nerve cells, liver/pancreas precursors, skeletal muscle, fat cells, bone cells and blood vessels.
Cord blood stem cells save lives:
• Neurological Diseases: Cord blood from unrelated donors was used to treat Krabbe's disease which produces progressive neurologic deterioration and death in early childhood. Most of the children were cured and achieved age-appropriate cognitive development.
• Spinal Cord Injuries: Hwang Mi-soon, who was paralyzed for 19 years, took her first steps after receiving transplanted cord blood stem cells.
• Sickle Cell Anemia: Keone Penn, 16 year old African-American received a cord blood stem cell transplant for sickle-cell anemia five years ago is now cured.
• Acute Leukemia (cancer):
o Gayle Serls, received a cord blood transplant and has since seen both children graduate and celebrated her own 50th birthday.
o Katherine Sutter, at 5 months old, received a cord blood transplant and is now cured.
• ALD (Adrenoleukodystrophy), an inherited disorder in which a protein that normally helps metabolize very long-chain fatty acids that leads progressive brian damage and death: Spencer Barsch, 2 year old, received a cord blood transplant and stopped cerebral changes from ALD.
• Osteoporosis: Anthony Dones, at 5 months old, received a cord blood transplant and is recovering.
• Diamond Blackfan Anemia, a disorder where no red blood cells are made, requiring monthly transfusions: Heidi Tweten received a cord blood stem cell transplant in her 20’s is now off anti-rejection medications for six years with normal blood counts and has since graduated from nursing school, got married, and adopted a baby boy.
• Hurler’s Syndrome, a disorder that affects a child's central nervous system and organs leading to mental retardation and possible death: Cord blood treatments for 20 children had an 85 percent success rate in treating the disease.