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200 Units Released, 200 Families Given Hope
Monday, January 31st, 2011
ViaCord has a long history of collecting and preserving babies’ stem cells. We’re proud to provide families with the opportunity to save the precious stem cells found in umbilical cord blood. The successful treatment of a number of conditions using cord blood stem cells proves they can be a valuable medical resource for families. Over the years ViaCord has seen many families in need of a stem cell treatment turn to the cord blood stem cells they’ve banked with us, especially where there may otherwise be limited treatment options.
Recently ViaCord released its 200th cord blood unit to be used for a potentially life-changing treatment.
Marking this newest milestone – 200 cord blood units released, 200 families given hope -is cause for acknowledgement and also provides an opportunity to reflect on the past and think about the future potential of cord blood stem cells.
Categories: Did You Hear?, Inside ViaCord, Transplants and Infusions
ViaCord, Facebook & You: Together At Last.
Friday, August 6th, 2010ViaCord’s on Facebook. And the chances are… you are too!
With over 500 million active users on Facebook, their membership is now equivalent to the size of a country that would rank third in population behind the People’s Republic of China and India and roughly 190 million ahead of the United States. It is undeniably a phenomenon for the record books. And what better way for ViaCord to connect with you to inform and educate about advancements in cord blood, than with a networking tool for the ages.
On ViaCord’s Fan page you’ll get access to current research updates, blog posts, videos, and more. But even more compelling is the exchange of information and the passion provided by our fans.
We’ve been overwhelmed with the response so far. The willingness of ViaCord Fans to share their story and connect with other fans has been humbling and we are so appreciative for it.
Categories: Did You Hear?
To Dads Everywhere – Happy Father’s Day!
Tuesday, June 15th, 2010
Mothers may grumble from time to time that fathers aren’t always the best at noticing piles of dirty laundry or dust in the corner, but we secretly respect and appreciate them for the way they can swoop up a crying child and have her belly-laughing within minutes, or grab a daddy longlegs spider (with their bare hands!) so that their child can get a close up look. Dads are special.
So for father’s day, we asked a few ViaCord dads to share their unique perspective on cord blood banking. What we learned busted some long-standing myths about dads.
Categories: Did You Hear?
Viacord is AABB-accredited. What does that mean for you?
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010
When you bank your baby’s cord blood, you want the best chances for a successful stem cell transplant. That’s why it’s important to ask the cord blood bank’s representative if their bank is fully accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB). AABB accreditation is one indicator to ensure donors and clients that a cord blood bank is delivering a quality process—from collection to storage and, if necessary, transplantation. And since 2003, ViaCord has been proud to be AABB-accredited
Categories: Did You Hear?, Inside ViaCord
Giving America a Healthy Future
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010Early diagnostics reduce healthcare costs; improve quality of life
Recently, PerkinElmer CEO Robert Friel was interviewed on FOX Business News to discuss the state of the nation’s healthcare—and how the global life sciences company is doing its part to ensure a healthier future for all. The parent company of ViaCord, PerkinElmer designs and delivers advanced technology solutions that address the world’s most critical health and safety concerns. For example, PerkinElmer is the leading worldwide provider of neonatal screening systems that have helped identify more than 100,000 newborns at risk of inherited metabolic disorders.
In the FOX interview, Mr. Friel stressed the importance of early diagnostics in keeping health care costs down and improving quality of life. For instance, by opting into newborn screening programs for early detection of health threats, parents may be able to help their child receive therapeutic intervention earlier, leading to a more successful outcome. There is often a positive financial outcome as well—early awareness and intervention can help families avoid costly procedures further down the line and improve quality of life, which also reduces costs for employers, insurers…
Categories: Did You Hear?, Trends in Healthcare
More Stem Cells Means a Better Rate of Transplant Success
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
You may have heard the saying “more is better.” Maybe it’s not a steadfast rule, but it certainly applies to cord blood stem cell therapy. The more stem cells a doctor has access to, the better the chances he or she can provide a successful treatment for the patient. This is true for both allogenic transplants (when stem cells are provided by a relative or donor) and autologous transplants (when stem cells come from the patient’s own body).
That’s why ViaCord uses the only Heparin-free FDA-approved cord blood collection bag designed to maximize collection. In other words, it allows ViaCord to provide doctors with more stem cells per unit, increasing the chances of successful treatment should a medical need ever arise.
ViaCord recently coathored an abstract, presented at the American Society of Hematology that demonstrates ViaCord’s collection method, which uses liquid CPD, results in significantly more viable cells than units collected with dry heparin (the method used by other cord blood collection companies).1
Categories: Cord Blood 101, Did You Hear?, Inside ViaCord