ABC details Cryo-Cell's life-saving service

ABC television’s Tampa Bay affiliate came to tour Cryo-Cell International’s lab to learn first-hand about how umbilical cord blood stem cells are being used to treat a growing number of diseases and disorders in children and adults.

“This is not a science fiction movie,” explains Laura Harris of ABC.

The piece covered many of the benefits of cord blood banking in general as well as what makes Cryo-Cell International the world’s leading cord blood bank. Featured prominently in the piece are two people whose connection to cord blood banking derived from two different perspectives.

Doctor's perspective

The first is Dr. Leslie Miller, renowned cardiologist now at the University of South Florida. Dr. Miller has studied stem cells extensively for years and reports that saving a newborn’s cord blood will “no doubt save lives and possibly replace the use of toxic drugs.” Of the rise in the research using cord blood stem cells, Dr. Miller says, “there is work going on now from autism and cerebral palsy in young children to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease in older adults and everything in between.”

Client's perspective

Joe (last name withheld), knows this first-hand. When his daughter was 2, she was diagnosed with apraxia, a condition resulted from brain damage at birth and evidenced by her inability to move the body parts needed for speech. Joe’s daughter has had 2 cord blood infusions over the past year. “We are definitely seeing an improvement,” says Joe while featured on the ABC piece. While she has not yet completely caught up with her age-group, Joe says he “knows the treatments are working.” He explains that whereas before the treatments, his daughter was more reclusive, she has become very outgoing and playful, even initiating conversation with other kids.”

Cryo-Cell's service

Joe has saved the newborn stem cells of all three of his children at Cryo-Cell International. As ABC mentions in the piece, "Cryo-Cell International is a state of the art facility, storing umbilical cord blood containing thousands of potent, immature stem cells that could treat a myriad of diseases and disorders.”

Like hundreds of thousands of other parents, Joe and his wife decided when pregnant to preserve their baby’s cord blood. They took their collection kit box with them to the delivery room and the obgyn collected the umbilical cord blood and sent it to Cryo-Cell International to be frozen. As the doctor explained, the cord blood collection presents absolutely no risk to the mother or the baby, and the had they not chosen to save their baby’s cord blood, it would have simply been discarded.

Watch the full video below: