Hello fellow Gibraltarians!

Umbilical cord blood donations are currently available on the NHS in United Kingdom, however shockingly appears to be unavailable in Gibraltar. Most individuals are largely unaware of the benefits of cord blood donations, and the lives said donations could save. I myself was also unaware of these benefits, and it wasn't until my step-father was sadly diagnosed with a rare form of Leukaemia that my family were made aware of this. He is currently awaiting a bone marrow transplant; a bone marrow transplant that is being done thanks to two umbilical cords which were donated by two different mums in two different countries. This donation will hopefully save my stepdad's life and allow for him to return home to his family....this donation will hopefully give both him and my mum many more years of love and happiness together, not to mention the opportunity to live these years alongside his children and granddaughter. This donation is therefore one of the most precious donations a person can make and is priceless.....or ought to be. 

For this reason, I would like to invite you to sign this petition in the hopes that our Government will see it and reconsider the acceptance of umbilical cords in the near future. Donating your cord blood does not interfere with your chosen birth plan and is completely safe and risk-free for you and your baby. Your new born baby could potentially save a life! 

Below you can find some information on cord blood and the importance of it (copy pasted from NHS Website): https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/cord-blood-bank/donate/about-donation/

Cord blood is the blood that remains in the placenta and umbilical cord following the birth of a baby. It is rich in blood stem cells, similar to those found in bone marrow, and these can be used to treat many different cancers, immune deficiencies and genetic disorders. Stem cells are the ‘master cells’ of the body and blood-producing stem cells (called haematopoietic stem cells) are present in cord blood. These cells are what we call 'unspecialised', which means that they have the ability to develop into those parts of the blood that the patient's body requires; whether red blood cells, white blood cells or platelets.