Most of you know that Jake got bone marrow and not cord blood,
BUT........PLEASE HEAR THIS LOUD AND CLEAR.......
"Since its creation in 1990, the Duke Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) Program has transplanted over 1200 children suffering from cancer, genetic defects or blood disorders. Today, over half of these children are surviving long-term, cured of their underlying disease by their transplant. With a current waiting list of 30-40 children, and a referral base that is world-wide, the Duke Pediatric BMT Program is the largest children’s transplant program in the world, now transplanting some 100 children annually. It is a program of last resort: These children have a life expectancy of less than one year without a transplant." (From the Duke PMT website. This program uses cord blood more than bone marrow to save children from certain death)
There were 16 rooms on the Pediatric Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Unit at Duke and Jake was the only one who had a bone marrow match! The other 15 were all cord blood matches and were being saved by the kind and generous donations of cord blood from other families. Cord blood does not require an exact match like bone marrow and children who cannot find marrow donors almost can always find a close cord blood match. It is a more difficult transplant and the recovery period is longer, but it saves lives all the time. The success rate is about 80% for a successful engraftment, and then the children must survive the low immune system, the late effects of potentially fatal doses chemo, and not relapse. Like the above quote said, only children who are expected to live less than one year are given a cord blood or bone marrow transplant. Their current bone marrow most be totally abolished to the point there is not one cell that will return - that's the goal. The only thing that keeps these kids alive as they await their transplant to grow and then function is living on isolation and getting blood products (donate blood, too). The doctor told us they take the children to the edge of death and then bring them back again. Most of the time they are successful. The mantra of all the patients and staff is "Grow Cells, Grow!"
It is not for just cancer, but several types of leukodystrophies (Krabbe's disease and Hurlers syndrome to name just two), and things like severe aplastic anemia and severe sickle cell anemia. I personally know many children who would not be here today if the cord blood had not been donated.
Check out this link (pics of CB donation, storage, etc...)
http://www.cancer.duke.edu/pbmt/tour/ccbb.asp
and this one!
http://www.cancer.duke.edu/pbmt/
There is info of CB donation and what it does. There are also pics of the stem cell lab, the transplant unit and the staff and faculty there. This is where Jake's life was saved.
Just a side note, had we banked Nathan's CB, they would have used it instead of the bone marrow. It is more desirable than bone marrow when it is a situation like ours when the sibling is the CB donor and it is a perfect match.
Donate it ladies, if you can.
Ok, stepping off my soap box now.
Let's bump this today for as many readers as possible. Maybe one of us will donate the cord blood that will save a little one with an otherwise fatal disease.