Congressional Black Caucus HealthBrain Trust, Cord Blood Donor Foundation, and Cord Blood Registry Sponsor Newborn Stem Cell Briefing
SAN BRUNO, Calif., September 21/Ascribe Newswire/ -- In an ongoing effort to reach out to lawmakers and congressional staff, the Congressional Black Caucus HealthBrain Trust, Cord Blood Donor Foundation (CBDF), and Cord Blood Registry (CBR) will host an educational briefing about the current uses and emerging applications for newborn stem cells from umbilical cord blood. The event will take place on Tuesday, September 21 from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the House Science Committee Room in the Rayburn House Office Building. Speakers include Medical Geneticist Paul Billings, M.D., of the Cord Blood Donor Foundation, and Darlene Davis, the mother of two whose son was cured of sickle cell anemia with a transplant of his brother’s newborn stem cells.
“Educating and engaging health policy makers about the value of stem cells is a step toward helping over 72,000 people affected by sickle cell disease, most of whom are African American,” said Congresswoman Donna Christensen, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus HealthBrain Trust.
Each year nearly 100,000 adults and children in this country are diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, and sickle cell anemia, which account for just a few of the 75-plus diseases that can be treated or cured with a stem cell transplant.
“Cord blood saved my son’s life,” explained Darlene Davis of Cedar Hill, Texas, referring to her four-year-old son Joseph, who is completely free of the sickle cell anemia that threatened his young life.
Despite its ability to cure life-threatening illnesses, less than 2% of newborn stem cells are banked out of four million births each year. Studies show that nearly 75% of expectant mothers have no knowledge or are minimally informed about the genetic value of saving newborn stem cells for their family or about the chance to publicly donate stem cells to help others.
“It’s a difficult job to inform the public about the potential value of cord blood, yet I think it’s extremely important and potentially so valuable that it’s worth our efforts,” said Joel Brochstein, M.D., Director of the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Hackensack University Hospital, Hackensack, New Jersey.
The educational briefing is open to congressional staff members and interested media. For more information contact Rita Kennen, 1-800-588-6377, Ext. 239, rkennen@cordblood.com.
About the Congressional Black Caucus Health BrainTrust
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus represent a variety of districts and constituents from coast to coast—urban and rural, northern and southern. The vision of the Founding Members of the CBC, “...to promote the public welfare through legislation designed to meet the needs of millions of neglected citizens,” continues to be a beacon and focal point for the legislative work and political activities of the Congressional Black Caucus today.
About Cord Blood Donor Foundation
The Cord Blood Donor Foundation (CBDF) is a not-for-profit, 501(c)3 human health and welfare organization dedicated to providing educational and public awareness about newborn stem cells and promoting further research using these cells from live births for the treatment of disease.
About Cord Blood Registry
Cord Blood Registry is the leader in cord blood stem cell processing and cryopreservation for familial use in transplantation and regenerative medicine. CBR was the first cord blood bank to be accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks in 1998 and has successfully provided 34 viable samples for use in lifesaving medical treatments. For more information visit www.cordblood.com, or call 1-888-CORD BLOOD. Cord Blood Registry is a registered trademark of Cbr Systems, Inc.
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