Stories of Lives Saved by Cord Blood

November 26, 2006
Stories of Lives Saved by Cord Blood - Larry Mitchell

The advancements of medicine and technology are saving lives each year that would otherwise be lost to disease or medical disorder. Each year, more and more children are living through potentially terminal diseases and battling their way back to health with help of cord blood. Cord blood is found within the umbilical cord and preserved upon the birth of the child. Since the blood contains stem cells, numerous diseases and disorders are successfully treated and even cured through transplants. Parents today are choosing to either bank cord blood for future use or donate their newborn’s cord blood so that ill children can take advantage of this life-saving blood.

An inspiring case is that of siblings Ashley and Kelvin J. of Maryland. These two children were both born with severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome that is usually terminal, since the body’s immune system cannot fend off the germs that would otherwise be harmless to a healthy body. Projected life span for children diagnosed with severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome (SCIDS) is approximately six months; however, both Ashley and Kelvin received a transplant of cord blood from anonymous donors whose cord blood was donated to public blood banks……

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What is SCID?

Severe combined immunodeficiency disease is the most serious primary immunodeficiency disorder. The defining characteristic of SCID is the absence of T cells and, as a result, lack of B cell function as well. Unless these defects are corrected the child will die of opportunistic infections before their first or second birthday. SCID can be caused by several different genetic defects, most of which are hereditary. In the past, children with this disorder were kept in strict isolation, sometimes in a plastic isolator or "bubble". Bubbles are no longer used as a standard of care, but the name remains a part of the history of SCID.

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Disclaimer: News articles come and go on the internet. When you find an interesting article and link to it, the link is dead in six months and the article is gone. I've copied many news articles here. I've included the information on the writer and linked back to the original publication. My intent is never to take anyone else's work as my own. My intent is to keep a repository of all the articles I find to be interesting. Many of these articles bring hope and encouragement to a family with a SCID child. Families with this disease are so rare, and they need to see that they are not alone in this struggle to keep their child alive. I hope this page is helpful to anyone with a family member or friend with any form of SCID.

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