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Andy’s Story – The Lifesaving Potential of Sibling Cord Blood
Thursday, January 12th, 2012
Most families see cord blood banking as a valuable opportunity – a chance to preserve stem cells that, if one of their children falls ill in the future, might provide a lifesaving treatment option. Andres and Paulina Treviño are a startling exception: when they banked their daughter Sofia’s cord blood with Viacord, they already planned to use her stem cells to treat and potentially help save her brother Andy from a life-threatening immune disorder.
Rewind five years to when, after Andy was born in Mexico City, a barrage of infections kept him hospitalized for most of his first 16 months. When Andy’s doctors couldn’t understand why, they advised Andres and Paulina to find specialized care. Coincidentally, one of the Treviños’ neighbors had a cousin who worked at Children’s Hospital Boston. They learned the hospital is a a world leader in helping families overcome even the most complicated immune disorders. So they packed their bags and carried Andy thousands of miles away.
Categories: Family Matters, Transplants and Infusions
Cord Blood in Action: The Pages Share Their Heartwarming Story
Monday, July 18th, 2011
Like many expecting parents, Ben and Jamie Page debated the pros and cons associated with cord blood banking. After much discussion, they ultimately decided to save Harlow’s cord blood with ViaCord “just in case”. According to Jamie, “we did it not thinking we would need it just a few months later.” When Harlow was just four months old doctors discovered a “grapefruit sized mass in her stomach” and “nobody could agree” on what kind of cancer it was. As treatment options were discussed the Pages wondered if the stem cells from her cord blood could be used to treat their daughter’s aggressive cancer.
In an interview with MommyCast’s Gretchen Vogelzang, the Pages discuss this “heartwarming story with a great ending,” that reminds us what a valuable resource cord blood stem cells can be. As Gretchen says, “the best form of
Categories: Current Treatments, Family Matters, Transplants and Infusions
Are You a Survivor? June 5th Is National Cancer Survivors Day
Friday, June 3rd, 2011
Millions of people have a story to tell—they have lived a fulfilling life after being diagnosed with cancer. National Cancer Survivors Day on June 5th is dedicated to giving these courageous survivors a voice to help inspire and give hope to others who may be facing the same challenges. National Cancer Survivors Day also celebrates the medical professionals who have helped advance the technologies we have to fight this complex disease. Where once there were no treatment options, there are now different ways to provide therapy—including cord blood stem cells transplants.
Celebrating progress
With the media’s focus usually on ongoing stem cell research, it’s easy to lose sight of the progress that has already been made. Nearly 80 diseases are currently treatable with cord blood stem cells, including certain types of cancers. To date, almost 40 of the 210 units ViaCord has released have gone to cancer treatments.
In fact, you may have seen a story in the news recently and on our blog about a little girl named Harlow who developed a grapefruit-sized tumor at just a few months old. Following treatment that included…
Categories: Current Treatments, Transplants and Infusions
Cord Blood in Action – Baby Harlow’s Story
Monday, May 23rd, 2011
Parental instinct is a powerful thing. Parents have an eye for ear infections and know the something-is-just-not-right signs of an impending cold or flu. For Jamie and her husband, Ben, they knew something was wrong when their daughter, Harlow, started crying more than usual just 2 weeks after she was born. Doctors said it was likely colic and suggested new formulas and different sleeping strategies, but Harlow wasn’t getting better. At 3 months old, her stomach swelled, and she stopped having wet diapers.
Putting a name to the problem
After a trip to the emergency room and several tests, Jamie and Ben got some startling news: a grapefruit-sized, cancerous tumor was blocking Harlow’s kidney. To make matters worse, pathologists couldn’t identify just what type of cancer it was. Finally, a team of pediatric oncologists operating out of Chicago concluded that Harlow’s cancer most resembled a rare type of brain cancer, and should be treated as such.
Unsure of a prognosis for Harlow, doctors did determine chemotherapy was the best protocol for treatment. Although Jaime and Ben feared watching their daughter suffer the painful…
Categories: Current Treatments, Family Matters, Transplants and Infusions
Cord Blood Treatments Today – Thalassemia Major
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011
When we think of cord blood, we often think of its potential to be used in medical treatments that are still being developed. And that potential is enormous. But it’s important to remember that cord blood already plays a critical role in treating—and in some cases curing—dozens of serious diseases and disorders.
One of these diseases is beta thalassemia major, also known as Cooley’s anemia. Beta thalassemia major is an inherited blood disorder that occurs when the genes governing the production of hemoglobin—the protein in red blood cells that binds to oxygen and carries it throughout the body—are flawed.
More specifically, hemoglobin contains two proteins, an alpha protein and a beta protein. In people afflicted with beta thalassemia major, the hemoglobin doesn’t contain enough of the beta protein, which means the red blood cells can’t carry sufficient oxygen from the lungs to the body’s cells and tissues.
Categories: Cord Blood 101, Current Treatments, Transplants and Infusions
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