Program Seeks Cord Blood Donors
September 29, 2009 – The Related Donor Cord Blood Program has sent the following information to CAF:
A newly launched program may give hope to families impacted by life-threatening diseases, including thalassemia. The Related Donor Cord Blood Program offers families the opportunity to have the umbilical cord blood of a new baby collected and stored at no cost to them. The cord blood then may be used to treat an affected biological sibling or parent who has a diagnosed disease, which can include leukemia, lymphoma, a sickle-cell disorder, an immune deficiency or a metabolic disease. T
he program is administered by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), and overseen by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
More information can be found at the Related Donor Cord Blood Program section of http://www.BeTheMatch.org/relatedcord.