Stork Medical, which provides storage of Cord Blood Stem Cells, recently announced a $60,000,000 charity program for the United States military. Stork Medical is not only giving away cord blood storage to soldiers who have sustained spinal cord or brain injuries while serving our country, but also offering every current and former soldier large discounts to honor their service.



A newborn's cord blood is rich in stem cells. These cells, are often stored in case the baby or a blood related relative needs them later in life. The closer the blood relation to the baby, the more likely that these cells will be helpful. They are currently used to treat over seventy diseases, and the list is growing. In fact, a recent episode of NBC's Today Show credited these cells for curing a child's cerebral palsy. Currently, these cells are best known for being the best treatment of leukemia. It is a strongly believed by some, that stem cells will one day provide treatment for spinal cord injury, breast cancer, burns, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, heart attack, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and numerous other dreadful illnesses.

Doctor Jonathan Liss, founder of Stork Medical, hopes that stem cells will one day be used to treat today's battlefield injuries and tomorrows illnesses from chemical exposures. To help this become a reality, Stork Medical is trying to make cord blood storage affordable to everyone who has served our country. Dr. Liss noted the heart wrenching story of Veteran Coy Thomas, who fought in the jungles of Vietnam, and is now searching public donation banks to find a close enough cord blood match to treat the leukemia he has developed from exposure to Agent Orange. "It is a tragic situation" said Dr. Liss. "I am hoping that with Stork's help, soldiers and their families will be protected from diseases like this by having their own cord blood stem cells in the bank and ready for their personal use."

As it stands today, the odds that a baby will use his or her cord blood is approximately 1 in 2,700. The odds that a family member will use these cells is 1 in 1,400. If this question had been asked in 1988, the chance of these cells being used would have been approximately 1 in 40,000. As research progresses, many doctors and scientists believe stem cells will become a very frequent treatment option for a wide variety of diseases.

Dr. Liss noted the irony that the discarded cord blood of a helpless newborn may offer the ultimate protection for those defending our freedom. If so, the cord blood stem cells from a soldier's newborn may bring future healing to these heroes in ways currently unimagined.

Stork Medical's Military Heroes Stem Cell Storage Program has been reviewed by the Surgeon General's office. Representatives of the Surgeon General's office thanked Stork Medical for supporting the troops and wished them well with this endeavor. The Surgeon General does not endorse companies or specific corporate donations. They noted that it will be a day of celebration for all when these stem cells save the life of a soldier's child who is stricken with leukemia, as they have been proven to do, or repair a damaged spinal cord as Stork Medical is hoping they will one day be able to do.

Stork Medical offers stem cell storage to the general public, plus significant discounts for Purple Heart recipients and for military personnel in general.

Cord Blood Storage is a pain-free process using umbilical cord blood that would otherwise be discarded. Cord blood collection is taken from the no-longer-needed umbilical cord after the newborn is given to his/her mother. The stem cells are then extracted by Stork's laboratory, Community Blood Services, who is a partner in this charitable program. In order to maximize the number of viable cells, they are very slowly frozen. Stork Medical's lab, Community Blood Services, uses a step-down process so that the cells can accommodate each new temperature. The progression to lower and lower temperatures keeps the cells from being "shocked" as they are eventually placed into the freezer at -196 degrees. Stork Medical also offers free retrieval of these cells whenever they are needed.

Stem cells can only be collected at the time of birth, so parents have to decide about storing them well in advance of the delivery. Most states are now investing in public banks for stem cell storage. These banks may be beneficial to people such as Mr. Thomas, who will not have access to a close relative's stem cells. Unfortunately, as the New England Journal of Medicine noted, stem cells from unrelated donors are less likely to be helpful than one's own cells.

It is the goal of Stork Medical to help protect those that are protecting us.