By Elizabeth Ames Jones Texas Railroad Commissioner
Published: 12-11-08
For many of us the holidays are a time to reflect on the blessings of our own lives and find ways to reach out to those who are less fortunate.
It’s a time of year that we go the extra mile to give back and to make a difference if even a small one. Whether we donate food money or our time we give what we can in the hopes of making someone’s holiday a little bit brighter.
And if you are an expectant mother you have the opportunity to give the ultimate gift one that could save a life.
Thanks to new advances in medical technology parents now have the opportunity to give renewed hope to the many Texans who are suffering from life-threatening diseases by donating leftover umbilical cord blood after the birth of their healthy baby.
Cord blood which is the blood that remains in the placenta after a baby is born is a promising alternative to bone marrow transplantation in treating a wide array of terminal illnesses including leukemia lymphomas and sickle cell anemia.
Approximately 10000 to 15000 Americans each year who need a bone marrow transplant are unable to find a suitable donor. But a cord blood unit which is rich in stem cells does not require a perfect match as donated bone marrow does and so offers a better chance of survival for more patients.
Sadly of the 4 million births in the U.S. each year 90 percent of the stem cells in cord blood are discarded as medical waste.
When I was a member of the Texas House I advocated for and helped pass legislation to create and provide the initial funding for the Texas Cord Blood Bank and to establish Texas as a leader in this critical life-saving venture. Texas is now one of only seven states in the nation with a public cord blood bank and the first in our part of the country.
Since the Texas Cord Blood Bank first began collection donations in 2005 more than 12000 cord blood units have been collected from ten partner hospitals in Texas. And a second public donor bank facility has come online at MD Anderson in Houston. But we can’t stop there.
Governor Rick Perry has designated December as Texas Cord Blood Awareness Month to highlight this amazing life-saving opportunity so that we may continue to build an extensive registry of donor cord blood.
I encourage all expecting moms to consider donating their cord blood at delivery. By the 34th week of pregnancy moms-to-be should talk to their doctor contact the hospital where they plan to give birth or the National Marrow Donor Program at 1-800-MARROW-2 or www.marrow.org/cord for information about your donation options.
Collecting cord blood is simple safe quick and painless for you and your new child. I also encourage family and friends to share with the expecting mothers you know the benefits of cord blood donations.
Before birth the umbilical cord is literally a lifeline to a child and the blood and stem cells it contains can continue to keep giving life and hope to someone who really needs it. As we celebrate the spirit of giving and the miracle of life this month I hope all expecting mothers will celebrate their babies birth by giving the gift of life to another. That is truly the greatest gift – saving a life.
Elizabeth Ames Jones is a current member of the Texas Railroad Commission and former member of the Texas House of Representatives.
