I know people have different views on stem cell research, cord blood banking, etc. but I'm going to write about my understanding of it for any of you others who may be expecting or are wondering about it.
Brad and I want to contribute to research if at all possible to try to save lives. There are two options for cord blood banking: Private and Public. Private costs $$ but reserves your baby's blood for his/her own use at any time. Public banking is free to parents and is shared and available for anyone in the country who needs it. We decided to try pursuing public banking so we can share with others who need it but also have access if we need it ourselves. Research and application of using cord blood to cure diseases is still in its infancy, but who knows what it will be like in 5 or 10 years.
Anyway, my doctor said to look up a place online and order a kit and then the hospital would collect the blood and help us send it off. So last night I went online and started searching. Apparently there are only about 200 hospitals in the US who actually have blood banks, University of MO not being one of them. So that means we would have to find a location that accepts mail-in donations. From what I've found, there are only SIX!
Since it costs close to $3000 to collect and store a single case of cord blood and the federal government only reimburses a portion of this, it's hard to find places that will accept it. I guess for the mail in ones even if you meet minimum health screening guidelines they may not accept your blood.
So... all of this leads us to giving up. I find comfort in knowing that they mostly need cord blood from ethnic minorities, but still, I wanted to help. It's sad that it's so difficult to donate, but hopefully research will continue and the benefits will be recognized so it's easier for other parents. So if you're lucky enough to deliver at a hospital that does accept cord blood - please donate.
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