Last year, as Miss Staten Island, I met Roberta Hayes at the Richmond County Fair. Roberta is a powerful advocate for Public Cord Blood Banks and wants to ensure that Staten Island will one day have the option to donate this precious resource.
You are probably wondering what exactly Cord Blood Donation is and why it is so important. The fact is, most people simply do not know the opportunity we have in front of us. Before I tell you about the event I attended, here are some facts about Public Cord Blood Banks:
- Physicians use the FDA-approved stem cells collected from the reserved Umbilical Cord Blood of newborns to treat over 70 life threatening diseases, leukemias, and anemias. For a full list of these illnesses, please follow this link. (I was shocked at what I discovered!)
- The Children's Cord Blood Bank is a public charity supported by donations from the public.
- 85% of parents in NY State do not have access to a public cord blood option. In Staten Island, we are NOT GIVEN THE OPTION to donate to a public bank.
- Public Cord Blood Bank is an alternative to private or family banking (which is extremely costly and often not covered by insurance).
I attended the walk with Alexa Moley, Miss Southern NY's Outstanding Teen. Not only did I meet incredible people with survival stories thanks to cord blood donation, and learn more about public cord blood banks, I also had the opportunity to speak to the crowd and tell them why I got involved. It was an eye-opening morning.
I encourage you to look deeper into the need for a Public Cord Blood Bank in our area. For me, there is no question that it is necessary to establish one in order to save many lives. For more information, or to get involved in future events, please contact [email protected]!