When I gave birth to my two kiddos, I was given the option of banking my kids' umbilical cord blood should someone in the family need it in the future for a life-saving procedure. The price was steep, though, and the chances of us needing it are unknown (and hopefully slim). I would have loved to donate this stem-cell-rich blood to a public bank, but our hospital didn't participate in such a bank so there was no way for me to do so.
That is not the case anymore, however. According to a recent TIME article, three hospitals have teamed up to provide anyone in the continental U.S. the chance to donate their baby's umbilical cord blood to Be The Match, the national cord blood registry.
It takes a little time and cooperation from your doctor, but this little bit of blood can go a long way to saving someone's life. Read the article. Decide for yourself. And if you or someone you know is giving birth sometime soon, pass this article along and consider donating.
1 comment:
good article! my donation kit is already on its way!
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