I almost missed it (and I'm on the look-out for this stuff!) which just goes to show how little awareness there is of this out there but it is in fact World Cord Blood Day! It was highlighted to me through the always amazing Anthony Nolan's Facebook page this evening. Anthony Nolan run cord blood collection from 4 hospitals (and are the only ones to offer this service outside of London): • Saint Mary's, Manchester • King’s College Hospital in London • Leicester Royal Infirmary • Leicester General Hospital They've been collecting cord blood in Leicester since 2010 and have collected over 17,000 cords in that time. It's an amazing achievement and it would be fantastic to see what could be achieved in other cities. That's why I'd ask you to please share something about cord blood this evening or tomorrow - this petition would be great but Anthony Nolan themselves run a number of inspirational posts through their social media. Raising awareness about cord blood donation, and allowing expectant parents to make informed decisions about it, has to be key to achieving the aim of increasing the amount of stem cells available for transplant. And, of course, using them to save real lives. If you are interested in donating cord blood, in any of the maternity units above, then you can register your interest at www.anthonynolan.org/cord. Or to look at the NHS options in London - https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/cord-blood-bank/donate/where-can-i-donate/. Please don't forget that you can register to go on the adult register via www.dkms.org.uk and/or donate even a small amount of money to help support our friend Ruby through her recovery at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/team-ruby-1.