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When Hospitals Aren't Equipped to Handle Cord Blood Donations |
It's a real shame: a family decides to donate the cord blood stem cells at the birth of their child, however, the hospital at which she will deliver cannot accommodate the mom's desire to donate that which will be discarded as trash.
Many hospitals are set up to collect cord blood, but many are not. The hope is that this will change in the future, but today, in the case of Natalie Salama-Levy, her baby's cord blood will be taken out with the garbage while a child awaits a match to fight disease. Hospitals and cord blood donations
If you're thinking of donating, please investigate hospitals in your area before commiting to a particular institution. |
Have you moved?
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Please report your new change of address here so we can be sure to stay in touch with you during your cord blood storage period
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| Blood Cancer Breakthrough |
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Today, blood cancers such as leukemia are treated with blood and bone marrow transplants which, as we know, are often difficult to match.
Some readers may have heard that umbilical cord blood is being tested against these diseases because young stem cells often do not generate a reaction from the immune system. Even when not matched, therefore, they may be accepted by a patient's system.
However, umbilical cord blood is "far less rich in the stem cells needed to cure the cancer and so takes longer to establish itself in the patient - leaving the patient open to infection and death." Read More
Now a team at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle have come up with a way of increasing the concentration of stem cells, enriching the blood in the laboratory, and transplanting cells that engraft more quickly. These cells replace the cancerous blood cells giving the patient the chance to produce more healthy cells and advance in the treatment process.
The naysayers of cord blood banking see only what can be done today; each day more possibilities become apparent in the battle to fight these diseases. |
