Seven years ago today a baby we don't know was born to a mother we had never met in a city we have no clue about. For reasons unknown to us that mother told the doctors to save her baby's umbilical cord blood and put it in the national bank.
According to the label on the stem cells my daughter received, the were donated on January 15, 2001 (which would be the donor's birthday).
On May 18, 2007 my then 19 month old daughter's life was saved by that donation. Those cells were used to transplant her bone marrow to help fight a disease that would have taken her from us. First mentally, then physically by age 10.
Donations are still needed. Some people still can't find perfect matches like my daughter had. Perfect matches and even close matches for minorities are rare also... Please ask your OB/GYN how you can donate.
Be prepared- those that don't understand the importance may wave you off... but it is important. Be persistant if you are willing to give this wonderful gift.
I understand the costs being prohibitive for some... but I dont think that people realize (in SOME places) you can donate your child's cord blood to the public cord blood bank for free. It may or may not be there if you or your child needs it in the future, but it would be there for somebody who needed it. Thanks for giving me an oppourtunity to share this with you all.
I forgot to leave my daughter's website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laurenslife/
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