Every Cord Blood unit can save lives.

Over 90% of the Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells that could be collected and cryopreserved to treat over 75 different diseases are currently treated like trash and discarded as medical waste -- instead of being used for children and adults that are already sick with a disease that could be treated, like leukemia, sickle cell anemia or many genetic diseases.

Every time you see a child (or adult) with leukemia or a genetic illness that is searching for an adult marrow donor-- an umbilical cord blood unit that "could have been" in a freezer, might have been used to save that life. New York City destroys over 90,000 umbilical cord blood units A YEAR, because of the lack of sufficient public additional cord blood collection and processing laboratories.

Less than 30% of over 35,000 people each year in the USA in need of a life saving stem cell transplant can find a suitable matching donor if they do not have a matching family member. Adult Umbilical Cord Blood could help fill that unmet need. In an emergency situation, a patient may not have the time to find a suitable bone marrow donor before they expire.On the other hand, a matching frozen cord blood unit could be available within a few days for a transplant, especially for children of under-represented or multiple racial heritages.

If Children are our future, we can not afford to waste a single cord blood unit that could save a child's life.

We need more local access to information, education and funding to collect, save and preserve Cord Blood stem cells in public Cord Blood banks. Blood stem cells are also critical to replace or repair blood forming cells in the bone marrow in cases of toxic chemical exposure or radiation poisoning. In addition to being used directly for stem cell transplants, almost anything that might be done with the controversial embryonic stem cells, is likely to be done with Cord Blood stem cells in the near future using induction. Treatments for heart conditions, diabetes, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, stroke, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, are already being tested using cord blood stem cells with some great result.

Education is the first step, but saving the umbilical cord, saves lives. Please support public funding to save Cord Blood Stem Cells, a known life-saver and adult source of stem cells & the Children's Cord Blood Bank & Research Foundation.

The CCBBRF is an IRS recognized 501(c)3 Charity