Donate Bone Marrow and Cord Blood for Stem Cell Transplantation

Highly plastic adult stem cells are routinely used in medical therapies and come from a variety of sources, including umbilical cord blood and bone marrow. Umbilical (adult) stem cells are drawn from the mother's umbilical cord and placenta after the baby is born. Unfortunately, of the 4 million births in the United States each year, over 90 percent of the cord blood stem cells are discarded as medical waste. Cord blood banking gives a family the opportunity to have the blood drawn, frozen and stored in a safe, regulated facility.

Stem cell treatments are a type of genetic medicine that introduces new cells into damaged tissue to treat a disease or injury. Related stem cells are genetically unique to your child and family. This offers the best chance for a successful transplant for a family member should there ever be a need. Current estimates indicate that approximately one in three Americans could benefit from medical therapies using adult stem cells.

Every year, thousands of people of all ages are diagnosed with life-threatening diseases. Many of them will die unless a stem cell transplant from a matching donor is found. Seventy percent of them do not have a donor in their family and depend on donor registries to find a match to save their life. Most of the population has the ability to help create matching opportunities and our mission is to empower that ability by spreading the word.