Cord Blood

After some thought and consideration, we've decided to donate our baby's umbilical cord blood.  If you donate cord blood to a public bank, the cord blood can be transplanted to any matching patient.  This is different than privately banked blood, which stores the cord blood for private use at a hefty fee.   

Currently only two hospitals in Denver (Denver Health and Exempla St. Joseph) actively collect cord blood for donation to public cord blood banks that are part of the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Network of banks.  However starting last October, the University of Colorado Cord Blood Bank (UCCBB) established a Statewide Umbilical Cord Blood Collection program where qualified Colorado residents can donate their baby's umbilical cord blood at any hospital for free.  So far, the process seems quite simple.  You just have to meet the following criteria:

1.) You are a Colorado resident
2.) You are not expecting a multiple birth or Cesarean section delivery
3.) You are generally in good health

If you qualify and complete all of the paper work, the program mails you a kit that you bring to the hospital with you when you deliver.  Once the baby is delivered and before the placenta is delivered, the doctor clamps the umbilical cord and withdraws as much of the blood remaining in the cord as possible (approximately 100-120 mL).  If all goes according to plan, the cord blood will be listed on the NMDP's "Be The Match Registry", where it is available to any patient in need of a transplant.  Here are some interesting facts:

• Cord blood is rich in blood-forming cells that can be used in transplants for patients with leukemia, lymphoma and many other life-threatening diseases. 
• Cord blood is one of three sources of cells used in transplants; the other two are bone marrow and peripheral (circulating) blood. 
• Racially and ethnically diverse donors are urgently needed.  For a successful transplant, the tissue type of a bone marrow donor or a cord blood unit needs to match the patient's as closely as possible.  Tissue types are inherited, so patients are more likely to match someone who shares their racial or ethnic heritage.  Patients from racially or ethnically diverse communities can have a harder time finding a match. 

I watched this video and couldn't stop crying.  Just thinking about all of the endless possiblites and all of the people that Baby Choi can help makes me well up with tears.  Blame it on the hormones.