Another issue we could all work on!

[Guest guest]

Schumer proposes centers to store umbilical blood

By JANE LERNER

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: June 1, 2005)

NYACK - Rockland obstetrician Klein delivers close to 1,000 babies

every year, and the umbilical cords he cuts are discarded in all but a

handful of cases.

But under a plan proposed yesterday by U.S. Sen. Schumer, those

umbilical cords and the potentially life-saving blood they contain could

become part of a national donor network for people sick with cancer,

leukemia and other diseases.

" We can turn medical waste into medical miracles, " Schumer said as he

announced his support for the Cord Blood Stem Cell Act, legislation he is

sponsoring in the Senate to create a network of cord-blood bank centers to

store and distribute umbilical-cord blood for treatment and research.

" Cord blood is not being used to its fullest potential, " he said during a

stop at Nyack Hospital, one of several he made to announce the plan. " We

have to change that. "

Cord blood is blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta at the

time of birth. The blood, which usually is discarded after delivery, is rich

in stem cells.

Those cells can be a better alternative for patients with cancer, leukemia

and other diseases whose only treatment option now is a bone-marrow

transplant.

Schumer estimated that 3,000 people in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam are

diagnosed each year with blood diseases that could be treated with

transplants of cord blood.

Because immune-system cells contained in cord blood are less mature, they

have not yet " learned " to attack foreign substances, and so would be less

likely to attack the recipient's immune system, according to the National

Marrow Donor Program, an organization that tries to match bone marrow donors

and recipients.

Doctors performed the first successful transplant of umbilical-cord blood 17

years ago in a 5-year-old boy suffering from a rare blood disorder.

Many patients could benefit from such treatment, said Dr. Rader,

head of the cancer center at Nyack Hospital, who joined Schumer in

announcing the plan.

" But, " he said, " the supply just isn't there. "

Private companies now offer women the option of collecting and storing

umbilical-cord blood after they deliver their babies, potentially for their

children or other family members to use.

It's an option few women choose, Klein said. He estimated that the cord was

saved in half a dozen cases of the 1,000 births he attended last year.

" It's very rare that someone wants to do it, " he said.

The top reason is cost: The initial fee for a kit to collect the blood is

about $1,800, plus a yearly storage fee of $150 or $200.

New City resident Christie Aguas briefly considered saving the cord blood

when she gave birth to her daughter, Vienna, in April at Lawrence Hospital

Center in Bronxville.

" But it was a lot of money, and I wasn't really sure that there was a need

for it, " she said.

Aguas said she would be in favor of a proposal like the one Schumer

suggested, which wouldn't require families to pay to donate or store the

blood.

" It's a good idea as long as I would still have the option of using the

blood for my own daughter, " she said.

Donated cord blood could have helped Dr. Bob , 65, a former Pound

Ridge resident who developed chronic myeloid leukemia several years ago.

, a retired obstetrician, was told that a bone-marrow transplant was

his best chance for recovery. But the risky procedure was not recommended

for people his age. " A cord-blood transplant would have been an excellent

option, " he said.

Through a friend, learned of a clinical trial of Gleevec, then an

experimental drug. The medication became widely available in 2001. ,

who lives in Fort Lee, N.J., credited the drug with putting him in

remission.

has been lobbying for the creation of a national cord-blood donor

program, and he joined Schumer at several hospitals yesterday.

Schumer said the program would cost " a couple of hundred million " and would

be paid for out of the federal government's $200 billion budget for health

care.

" It would save money because the cost of a cord-blood transplant is less

than the cost of a bone-marrow transplant, " he said. As part of the

proposal, he would ask federally funded insurance programs to pay for

cord-blood transplants.

Schumer said he had been touched by the plight of people sick with cancer

who desperately needed bone-marrow donors, but couldn't find matches.

" They wait and they wait and they wait, " he said. " Here's a way we could

save their lives. "

[Guest guest]

Just curious Cheryl,

Since my Son and Daughter in-law are expected to deliver my 3rd grandchild

in September, how could we go about donating the umbilical cord?

Tampa Fl

Message: 6

Date: Wed, 1 Jun 2005 07:40:59 -0400

From: " Cheryl-Anne Simoneau " <cheryl.simoneau@...>

Subject: Another issue we could all work on!

Schumer proposes centers to store umbilical blood

By JANE LERNER

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: June 1, 2005)

NYACK - Rockland obstetrician Klein delivers close to 1,000 babies

every year, and the umbilical cords he cuts are discarded in all but a

handful of cases.

But under a plan proposed yesterday by U.S. Sen. Schumer, those

umbilical cords and the potentially life-saving blood they contain could

become part of a national donor network for people sick with cancer,

leukemia and other diseases.

" We can turn medical waste into medical miracles, " Schumer said as he

announced his support for the Cord Blood Stem Cell Act, legislation he is

sponsoring in the Senate to create a network of cord-blood bank centers to

store and distribute umbilical-cord blood for treatment and research.

" Cord blood is not being used to its fullest potential, " he said during a

stop at Nyack Hospital, one of several he made to announce the plan. " We

have to change that. "

Cord blood is blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta at the

time of birth. The blood, which usually is discarded after delivery, is rich

in stem cells.

Those cells can be a better alternative for patients with cancer, leukemia

and other diseases whose only treatment option now is a bone-marrow

transplant.

Schumer estimated that 3,000 people in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam are

diagnosed each year with blood diseases that could be treated with

transplants of cord blood.

Because immune-system cells contained in cord blood are less mature, they

have not yet " learned " to attack foreign substances, and so would be less

likely to attack the recipient's immune system, according to the National

Marrow Donor Program, an organization that tries to match bone marrow donors

and recipients.

Doctors performed the first successful transplant of umbilical-cord blood 17

years ago in a 5-year-old boy suffering from a rare blood disorder.

Many patients could benefit from such treatment, said Dr. Rader,

head of the cancer center at Nyack Hospital, who joined Schumer in

announcing the plan.

" But, " he said, " the supply just isn't there. "

Private companies now offer women the option of collecting and storing

umbilical-cord blood after they deliver their babies, potentially for their

children or other family members to use.

It's an option few women choose, Klein said. He estimated that the cord was

saved in half a dozen cases of the 1,000 births he attended last year.

" It's very rare that someone wants to do it, " he said.

The top reason is cost: The initial fee for a kit to collect the blood is

about $1,800, plus a yearly storage fee of $150 or $200.

New City resident Christie Aguas briefly considered saving the cord blood

when she gave birth to her daughter, Vienna, in April at Lawrence Hospital

Center in Bronxville.

" But it was a lot of money, and I wasn't really sure that there was a need

for it, " she said.

Aguas said she would be in favor of a proposal like the one Schumer

suggested, which wouldn't require families to pay to donate or store the

blood.

" It's a good idea as long as I would still have the option of using the

blood for my own daughter, " she said.

Donated cord blood could have helped Dr. Bob , 65, a former Pound

Ridge resident who developed chronic myeloid leukemia several years ago.

, a retired obstetrician, was told that a bone-marrow transplant was

his best chance for recovery. But the risky procedure was not recommended

for people his age. " A cord-blood transplant would have been an excellent

option, " he said.

Through a friend, learned of a clinical trial of Gleevec, then an

experimental drug. The medication became widely available in 2001. ,

who lives in Fort Lee, N.J., credited the drug with putting him in

remission.

has been lobbying for the creation of a national cord-blood donor

program, and he joined Schumer at several hospitals yesterday.

Schumer said the program would cost " a couple of hundred million " and would

be paid for out of the federal government's $200 billion budget for health

care.

" It would save money because the cost of a cord-blood transplant is less

than the cost of a bone-marrow transplant, " he said. As part of the

proposal, he would ask federally funded insurance programs to pay for

cord-blood transplants.

Schumer said he had been touched by the plight of people sick with cancer

who desperately needed bone-marrow donors, but couldn't find matches.

" They wait and they wait and they wait, " he said. " Here's a way we could

save their lives. "

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

You can start by asking your daugther in-law and son to ask their

doctor. Depending on where they live you can check through the

larger teaching hospitals if there is a program available. You could

also check with the LLS, as they may be able to find out who you can

contact.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Cheryl-Anne

> Just curious Cheryl,

> Since my Son and Daughter in-law are expected to deliver my 3rd

grandchild

> in September, how could we go about donating the umbilical cord?

>

>

> Tampa Fl

>

>

> Message: 6

> Date: Wed, 1 Jun 2005 07:40:59 -0400

> From: " Cheryl-Anne Simoneau " <cheryl.simoneau@m...>

> Subject: Another issue we could all work on!

>

>

> Schumer proposes centers to store umbilical blood

>

>

> By JANE LERNER

> THE JOURNAL NEWS

> (Original publication: June 1, 2005)

>

>

>

> NYACK - Rockland obstetrician Klein delivers close to

1,000 babies

> every year, and the umbilical cords he cuts are discarded in all

but a

> handful of cases.

>

>

> But under a plan proposed yesterday by U.S. Sen. Schumer,

those

> umbilical cords and the potentially life-saving blood they contain

could

> become part of a national donor network for people sick with cancer,

> leukemia and other diseases.

>

>

> " We can turn medical waste into medical miracles, " Schumer said as

he

> announced his support for the Cord Blood Stem Cell Act, legislation

he is

> sponsoring in the Senate to create a network of cord-blood bank

centers to

> store and distribute umbilical-cord blood for treatment and

research.

>

>

> " Cord blood is not being used to its fullest potential, " he said

during a

> stop at Nyack Hospital, one of several he made to announce the

plan. " We

> have to change that. "

>

>

> Cord blood is blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta

at the

> time of birth. The blood, which usually is discarded after

delivery, is rich

> in stem cells.

>

>

> Those cells can be a better alternative for patients with cancer,

leukemia

> and other diseases whose only treatment option now is a bone-marrow

> transplant.

>

>

> Schumer estimated that 3,000 people in Westchester, Rockland and

Putnam are

> diagnosed each year with blood diseases that could be treated with

> transplants of cord blood.

>

>

> Because immune-system cells contained in cord blood are less

mature, they

> have not yet " learned " to attack foreign substances, and so would

be less

> likely to attack the recipient's immune system, according to the

National

> Marrow Donor Program, an organization that tries to match bone

marrow donors

> and recipients.

>

>

> Doctors performed the first successful transplant of umbilical-cord

blood 17

> years ago in a 5-year-old boy suffering from a rare blood disorder.

>

>

> Many patients could benefit from such treatment, said Dr.

Rader,

> head of the cancer center at Nyack Hospital, who joined Schumer in

> announcing the plan.

>

>

> " But, " he said, " the supply just isn't there. "

>

>

> Private companies now offer women the option of collecting and

storing

> umbilical-cord blood after they deliver their babies, potentially

for their

> children or other family members to use.

>

>

> It's an option few women choose, Klein said. He estimated that the

cord was

> saved in half a dozen cases of the 1,000 births he attended last

year.

>

>

> " It's very rare that someone wants to do it, " he said.

>

>

> The top reason is cost: The initial fee for a kit to collect the

blood is

> about $1,800, plus a yearly storage fee of $150 or $200.

>

>

> New City resident Christie Aguas briefly considered saving the cord

blood

> when she gave birth to her daughter, Vienna, in April at Lawrence

Hospital

> Center in Bronxville.

>

>

> " But it was a lot of money, and I wasn't really sure that there was

a need

> for it, " she said.

>

>

> Aguas said she would be in favor of a proposal like the one Schumer

> suggested, which wouldn't require families to pay to donate or

store the

> blood.

>

>

> " It's a good idea as long as I would still have the option of using

the

> blood for my own daughter, " she said.

>

>

> Donated cord blood could have helped Dr. Bob , 65, a former

Pound

> Ridge resident who developed chronic myeloid leukemia several years

ago.

>

>

> , a retired obstetrician, was told that a bone-marrow

transplant was

> his best chance for recovery. But the risky procedure was not

recommended

> for people his age. " A cord-blood transplant would have been an

excellent

> option, " he said.

>

>

> Through a friend, learned of a clinical trial of Gleevec,

then an

> experimental drug. The medication became widely available in 2001.

,

> who lives in Fort Lee, N.J., credited the drug with putting him in

> remission.

>

>

> has been lobbying for the creation of a national cord-blood

donor

> program, and he joined Schumer at several hospitals yesterday.

>

>

> Schumer said the program would cost " a couple of hundred million "

and would

> be paid for out of the federal government's $200 billion budget for

health

> care.

>

>

> " It would save money because the cost of a cord-blood transplant is

less

> than the cost of a bone-marrow transplant, " he said. As part of the

> proposal, he would ask federally funded insurance programs to pay

for

> cord-blood transplants.

>

>

> Schumer said he had been touched by the plight of people sick with

cancer

> who desperately needed bone-marrow donors, but couldn't find

matches.

>

>

> " They wait and they wait and they wait, " he said. " Here's a way we

could

> save their lives. "