A Newport mother has banked her newborn’s umbilical cord stem cells after losing a colleague to leukaemia and seeing another friend diagnosed.
Natalie Harrop and her partner, Gary Hardwick-Bishop, arranged for the procedure through Leukaemia & Myeloma Research UK (LMRUK) and its Model Cell Biobank service. Banking stem cells provides potential future treatment options for serious illnesses, including blood cancers.
Natalie, who gave birth to baby Arthur at The Grange University Hospital, said she was unaware of the procedure until her personal experiences with leukaemia prompted research. “It was really simple. I don’t know why this isn’t standard practice—it seems so important,” she said.
LMRUK recently partnered with Smart Cells International, the UK’s first private stem cell storage company, to expand access to its Model Cell Biobank. The program allows eligible families to store umbilical cord stem cells, with funding options available based on circumstances.
Dr. Joanna Tilley, LMRUK’s operations director, emphasized that cord blood stem cells are often discarded but can be crucial for treating blood cancers. “These vital cells can save lives,” she said.
Smart Cells, part of the FamiCord Group, has over 20 years of experience in stem cell banking. Ongoing research explores stem cell treatments for conditions such as diabetes, cerebral palsy, and Parkinson’s disease, with clinical trials underway worldwide.
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