Birmingham Women’s Hospital has collected its 1,000th cord blood unit since it opened in July 2012.
Blood from the umbilical cord is normally disposed of after birth but can be used in lifesaving stem cell transplants for patients with blood cancers, such as leukaemia. This provides a useful alternative for patients who cannot find a match on the adult bone marrow donor register.
Fatma Hatimy, Senior Cord Blood Collection Co-ordinator at Anthony Nolan, says, ‘These 1,000 babies have only just arrived in this world but they have already done something amazing and could save someone’s life. We are absolutely delighted to have collected 1,000 cord blood units in our first year of opening the collection site; it is a testament to the dedication of our staff and the willingness of Birmingham mothers to donate. Birmingham is an ideal place to collect cord blood because we have a high number of women giving birth and an ethnically diverse population.’
Birmingham Women’s Hospital is one of five hospitals in the UK where blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan collects cord blood units. Cord collection sites are also based at the Royal Free Hospital, Kings College Hospital, Leicester General Hospital, and Leicester Royal Infirmary.
Find out more about donating your cord blood.
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