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    Why Donate My Baby's Cord Blood

    Terri Tibbot MS CTBS CEO, Life Line Stem Cell 09/17/2019
    The birth of a child is truly a remarkable gift—a gift of life, promise, and hope.  As you cherish this precious new gift in your life, consider the ways in which you can extend your joy to others.  There are decisions you can make now to enable this amazing gift of life to help others to improve their quality of life.

    A mother’s placenta helps to nourish a developing baby for the time spent in the mother’s womb. It supplies blood and nutrients through the umbilical cord. The blood that is left in the cord after delivery is referred to as “cord blood.” Cord blood stem cells are similar to those found in adult bone marrow. Cord blood and bone marrow contain hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which have the unique ability to develop into any of the blood cells in our bodies. Because of this flexibility, they can be used to replace diseased blood cells in people with conditions such as leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma, among others. The umbilical cord and the placenta also contain non-embryonic stem cells and can be donated along with the cord blood for research and treatment. If not donated, this bodily fluid and waste is properly discarded after delivery.

    Cord Blood can only be donated immediately following your baby’s birth. Donating your baby’s cord blood, umbilical cord, and placenta for transplantation and research can extend and improve the quality of life for many others. Some diseases or treatments that may be possible using stem cells include:
    • Transplants—currently, cord blood transplants are accepted as standard therapy for up to 80 diseases
    • Standard Therapies
    • Cancers such as Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma
    • Myelo­dysplastic Syndromes
    • Hemoglobin­opathies
    • Auto-Immune Disorders such as Lupus, Parkinson’s or Crohn’s Disease
    • Inherited Metabolic Disorders
    • Certain Other Blood Disorders
    • Spinal cord injuries
    • Eye injuries
    • Therapies currently in clinical trial
      • Histiocytic Disorders
      • Cerebral Palsy
      • Autism
      • Pediatric Stroke
      • Brain Injury
    Please consider donating your baby’s cord blood to help save someone else’s life! For more information about Cord Blood Donation, talk to your nurse upon admission or contact Life Line Stem Cell at 260-749-9105. Life Line Stem Cell is partnered with The Women’s Hospital to collect these donations after birth.
     
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