Duke's Cord Blood Kit
When I was pregnant with my first child, I had read about the benefits that the blood in my baby’s umbilical cord could have for others. Filled with stem cells, this blood could help those with cancer, sickle-cell anemia, immunodeficiency, marrow failure and genetic diseases that call for transplants. Normally, this blood is literally thrown away, so if it has so many benefits, I thought, why not donate it? Unfortunately, when I told my OB my intentions, she informed me that the hospital that I was giving birth at didn’t have the availability to store the blood and get it to a bank. And my hospital was of the norm–there are only approximately 175 hospitals in the United States that can transfer cord blood to a bank, but it looks as if that’s about to change.
Time recently reported on a Public Donation Kit that’s allowing Read More