February 08, 2006

Cord Blood Donation

Puget Sound Blood Center has a Cord Blood donation program that includes options for donating both for research and for direct donation.

The cord blood is just packed with stem cells, so if you are really into the idea of stickin it to the man this is a great program. Plus, it's the only time you can donate tissue or blood that doesn't hurt at all, since they take it once you know you and the baby are all done with it.

All you have to do is call them and they will do the screening and consent on the phone if you want. Or they can send you a packet.

So, I was thinking I could not donate cord blood because of my exposure to evil evil prions while I lived in Germany in the 80s. Turns out they changed their criteria a short three weeks ago and it was recently approved, so I will be able to donate, and perhaps someone will be less Parkinsonian, or Hodgkinsonian all cause of my little baby and the only disposible organ a human has.

Yay Us!
Click Here and Do It!

Posted by jlp716 at February 8, 2006 04:53 PM
Comments

How does that "less Parkinsonian" part work?

Posted by: COMTE at February 8, 2006 11:46 PM

Comte - Stem cell research is being used to help find a cure for Parkinson's and other diseases.

Posted by: jaye at February 9, 2006 08:03 AM

Awesome. I'm still pissed that I can't be a blood donor, but I'm cool with being shown up by a baby.

Posted by: molly at February 9, 2006 04:47 PM

In FACT one of the first Parkinsons stem cell transplants ever was done here in Seattle at Fred Hutchinson. The results were absolutely amazing.

Stem Cell Transplants are being tried for relapsing Hodgkins Disease, Parkinsons, Scleroderma, other bone marrow diseases and many cancers and degenerative neurologic diseases. They're hoping to discover a way to use them for genetic therapy but mostly right now the donation goes to transplantation if it matches someone. And to research if it doesn't. Now here's why El Presidente hates it. Because you have to replicate the stem cells you get from the cord. In order to do that, you clone them. That's what all that fuss was about and those laws they passed were about when they did all that 4/5 years ago. They negotiated the law so that they could continue to do them by making only certain lines of stem cells illegal to do research on, and many of those are found in donated embryos, not in the cord blood.

Fascinating, no? I'm sure you're riveted.

Posted by: JotheP at February 10, 2006 05:21 PM