Increasing Funding to already established Cord Blood Banks is NOT sufficient -- if they do NOT Collect from Everyone that wishes to donate.   WE NEED MORE Working PUBLIC CORD BLOOD laboratories to collect from high population areas.  Over 90,000 children are born in the New York City Metro area, whose parents do not have access to a public cord blood bank. 85% of the parents giving birth do not have the ability to choose to donate their child’s umbilical cord blood, instead of having it destroyed.

The Children's Cord Blood Bank needs your support. Over 90% of the Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells that could be collected and cryopreserved to treat over 75 different diseases are currently thrown in the trash and discarded as medical waste. Every time you see a child (or adult) with leukemia or a genetic illness that is searching for an adult marrow donor, know that one of those cord blood units that "could have been" in a freezer might have been used to save that life. 

Only a small percentage of over 35,000 people each year in the USA, who are in need of a life-saving stem cell transplant can find a suitable matching donor. Over 9,000 of those in need are in NY State. Cord Blood could help fill this unmet medical need. In an emergency situation, most patients will not have the time to find a suitable marrow donor before they expire. On the other hand, a matching frozen cord blood unit could be available within a few days for a transplant, especially for children of under-represented racial heritages.

We need more LOCAL access to information, education and FUNDING to collect, save and preserve Cord Blood stem cells in Public Cord Blood banks.

Stem cells are also critical to replace or repair blood forming cells in the bone marrow in the event of accidental toxic chemical exposure, or radiation poisoning, or a terrorist attack using these agents.

Moreover, in addition to being used directly for stem cell transplants, almost anything that might be done with the controversial embryonic stem cells (ESC), is likely to be done with Cord Blood stem cells in the near future using induction. Treatments for heart conditions, diabetes, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, stroke, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, are already being investigated in clinical trials using Cord Blood stem cells with promising results.

Please support funding for the Children's Cord Blood Bank & Research Foundation and their Mission to collect public Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells and to educate parents having a newborn. Cord Blood is a known life-saver and adult source of critically needed stem cells.

Thank you for your support and consideration to our petition.  And, please see our second petition to the New York State representatives at http://chn.ge/bbvKh5  CCBBRF is an IRS-recognized 501(c)3 Charity