Cord blood stem cells are revolutionizing the practice of medicine. Today, there are over 80 diseases being treated with cord blood stem cells.

Some diseases being treated with cord blood:

Malignancies Leukemia Lymphoma Multiple myeloma Hodgkin’s disease Retinoblastoma Solid tumors	Immunodeficiencies Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) Purine nucleoside phosephorylase deficiency Reticular dysgenesis Wiskott-Aldrish syndrome DiGeorge syndrome Kostmann syndrome Omenn syndrome
Blood Disorders Sickle cell anemia Thalassemia Aplastic anemia Fanconi anemia Diamond-Blackfan anemia Amegakaryocytosis Histiocytosis	Metabolic Disorders Adrenoleukodystrophy Krabbe disease Hunter syndrome Hurler syndrome Sanfilippo syndrome Scheie syndrome Sly syndrome Lesch-Nyhan syndrome	Other Diseases Osteopetrosis Evan syndrome

For a full list, visit marrow.org.

Help for families with a history of certain diseases

Cord blood transplants from a close family member have been shown to treat or cure a number of life-threatening illnesses, such as sickle cell anemia and some leukemias. Families with a specific medical need or history of some diseases can receive free or discounted banking. At this time, medical need is defined as a sibling that currently needs a transplant; a sibling that may need a future transplant; or another family member that may need a transplant.

Families can find help at the one-stop Related Donor Cord Blood Program, a part of the National Marrow Donor Program. Patient advocates work one-on-one with affected families to determine eligibility, match families with a program and answer questions about insurance coverage. Call 1-888-999-6743 or send an email to .

Cord blood transplants are saving lives every day. Natalie Curry, one of the first cord blood stem cell recipients in the world, tells her story of surviving Fanconi anemia, a rare blood disorder. Watch Natalie’s story here. Leukemia survivor Eric Drew talks about the double cord blood transfusion that saved his life. Watch Eric’s story here.