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.
Like many expecting parents, Ben and Jamie Page debated the pros and cons associated with 
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.
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.
When we think of 
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 
Bone marrow failure disorders affect hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world, from children to adults. National Aplastic Anemia and MDS (myelodysplastic syndromes) Awareness Week (December 1-7) is helping to spread the word about two of these disorders. It is also an opportunity to shed light the role cord blood can play in helping to treating these potentially life-threatening diseases.
Today, cord blood stem cells can be used to treat nearly 
Stem cells have been used in transplant medicine with much success for the last 40 years. Since 1988, stem cells from umbilical cord blood have played a critical role in that success. Growing numbers of expectant parents are donating children’s cord blood or enrolling in family banking, based on the profound potential in cord blood stem cells.
In a recent blog post, we discussed