In 2011, Jessica Fox’s life changed forever. Not only was she pregnant with her daughter Avery, but her husband Brady was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), an aggressive form of blood cancer. The news devastated the couple, but they remained hopeful. During one of Jessica’s ultrasound appointments, a nurse gave her a Cord Blood RegistryOpens a new window® (CBR) brochure about the Newborn Possibilities Program®, a program in which families qualify by having a parent or sibling with a disease that can be treated with the stem cells in cord blood and cord tissue. Qualifying families receive cord blood and cord tissue preservation and five years of storage at no cost. She discussed the program with Brady and his doctors, and the couple decided to take advantage of the opportunity. They qualified and banked Avery’s stem cells.
Thankfully, Brady’s initial cancer treatment worked, and the APL is in remission. While they didn’t have to use the stem cells for this specific diagnosis, they still banked as a future investment. We sat down with Jessica, now a mother of three, to ask her about the CBR process and what she would tell expecting parents about the innovative program.
BabyCenter: Before you participated in CBR’s Newborn Possibilities Program, what was your perception of cord blood banking?
Jessica Fox: Before Brady became sick, I really didn’t know too much about cord blood banking, or even have it on my radar. I thought of it more as a “nice to have” versus an investment in my family’s future health. So, after he became sick and I received a brochure from a nurse at the hospital about cord blood banking and the Newborn Possibilities Program, we made the decision to go forward with the process. There wasn’t a moment of doubt or hesitancy on our part. It is a great investment for our future.
BC: How was the entire newborn stem cell preservation process for you and your family? Would you say it was complicated or easy?
JF: The preservation process was very easy. We received a box to our home and had to remember to bring it to the hospital with us and leave it out for the doctor during labor. The doctor collected the cord blood and cord tissue samples right after I finished my labor, filled out some paperwork, and sealed up the box. Brady then called the phone number to coordinate pick-up, and a courier came to our hospital room to retrieve the box. It was a very straightforward and streamlined process.
BC: What would you tell other parents who may be apprehensive about cord blood banking or newborn stem cell preservation?
JF: I always tell people to do their own research and make their own decisions. It is a very personal decision, and I’m not one to impose my opinions. If asked, I tell them all the reasons why we banked and selected CBR, but I encourage people to at least research it and see if it makes sense for their family. For us, it gives us peace of mind.
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Watch Jessica and her family’s moving CBR journey below:
For more information on cord blood banking, parents can call CBR at 888-CORD-BLOOD or visit cordblood.com Opens a new windowto enroll.
Disclaimer: The use of cord blood is determined by the treating physician and is influenced by many factors, including the patient’s medical condition, the characteristics of the sample, and whether the cord blood should come from the patient or an appropriately matched donor. Cord blood has established uses in transplant medicine; however, its use in regenerative medicine is still being researched. There is no guarantee that potential medical applications being studied in the laboratory or clinical trials will become available.
Cord tissue use is still in early research stages, and there is no guarantee that treatments using cord tissue will be available in the future. Cord tissue is stored whole. Additional processing prior to use will be required to extract and prepare any of the multiple cell types from cryopreserved cord tissue. CBR Systems, Inc.’s activities for New York State residents are limited to collection of umbilical cord tissue and long-term storage of umbilical cord–derived stem cells. Cbr Systems, Inc.’s possession of a New York State license for such collection and long-term storage does not indicate approval or endorsement of possible future uses or future suitability of these cells.
This post is sponsored by the Cord Blood RegistryOpens a new window.