I saw the following article today on Focus of the Family web site. Anyway my baby making days are over but if I were still having babies this is something I would do. Donating cord blood or saving it was not an option when I was having babies. At least it was not an option readily offered, I never heard about it then, but it is now becoming much more popular and well known.
Anyway just though I'd share this! Enjoy!
by Sherry Graf
No parent forgets bringing a child into the world. I remember feeling elated to be a part of the miracle of new life. As I held each of my children for the first time, I knew that they, too, only minutes old, were potentially giving life to someone else. Months before they were born, my husband and I decided to donate their umbilical-cord blood, which is a rich source of stem cells.
Those stem cells could save someone’s life.
1. Donating umbilical-cord blood is a small way to take a stand against embryonic stem-cell research. Though we couldn’t stop researchers from destroying embryos at the local university, we could show our community there is another way to treat diseases. More than 70 diseases are being successfully treated with cord-blood stem cells. Researchers have been unable to do the same with embryonic stem cells. In fact, there has yet to be a single human disease successfully treated with embryonic stem cells.
2. It is free and easy to donate. Before delivering our baby, we completed some medical history forms to ensure the cells would be safe to use in research. Minutes after the delivery, my husband cut the cord and the doctor collected the blood using a kit provided by the company receiving the donation. Then we contacted the company to pick up the donation and a sample of my blood from the hospital.
3. Cord-blood stem cells provide hope for patients suffering from life-altering disease. The company we chose to receive the donation registered the stem cells on several international donor lists. We are excited that someone can have hope for a cure because of a simple, painless procedure done in the delivery room.
At my post-delivery checkup, I gave my doctor a stack of brochures on donating umbilical cord blood, hoping she would inform other patients of this option. After delivering my second son, I sent another brochure to the doctor who delivered him because she was interested in learning about donations. I also wrote an article for my church newsletter, and I share my experience when friends become pregnant.
This journey started as one way I could take a stand against the destruction of young human life for research. It ended with the birth of two boys who I hope someday will be somebody’s little heroes.
Sherry Graf is a mother of two in South Dakota.
After the parade James and Emily wanted to ride the Ferris Wheel. They really liked it! They had never been on one before.
After that we went to Coupeville WA, 9 miles down the island, and went to a farmers market, had lunch and ice cream cones ,and looked in the shops. That was quite a bit of walking for Dad so we went home so he could nap. Emily and Michael took grandma Joyce down to the beach. The rest of us napped and read until time to eat dinner. After dinner we had a yummy birthday carrot cake Joyce had bought for an early celebration of James and Johns b-days which are next week.
