15^th November 2023, Berlin, Germany: As every year in mid-November global science community celebrates World Cord Blood Day. During that day many events, conferences and workshops take place around the world. The idea of ​​the celebration is to familiarize parents who wait for the birth of their child as well as doctors with issues related to the possibilities of using umbilical cord blood. The organizer of that event is Save the Cord Foundation. In Europe, Vita34 and FamiCord take care of remembering this day, but also popularizing the benefits of storing cord blood stem cells. This year, the celebration will be very special since Matthew Farrow, the first patient who received cord blood transplant, is coming to Europe – 35 years after he was transplanted with cord blood.

Cord blood and cord blood derived stem cells have been used in treatments for over three decades. The first transplant performed by Dr. Éliane Gluckman and Dr. Hal Broxmeyer, which saved life of a 5-year-old boy from the US - Matthew Farrow. He struggled with Fanconi anemia and received a stem cell transplant from the umbilical cord blood of his newborn sister. My little sister's cord blood cured me from bone marrow failure caused by Fanconi anemia and that allowed me to grow up and become an adult - says Matthew. Today, he has made it his life's work to tell his story, especially to families suffering from Fanconi anemia, in order to raise awareness and the understanding of the medical benefits of umbilical cord blood: "I encourage families of young kids who have gone through transplants, and show them that patients can grow up, have a family, and live a normal life.“

Since the pioneering procedure, tens of thousands transplant procedures have been performed around the world. Stem cells from umbilical cord blood have been a recognized, proven and effective therapy in the treatment of over 80 serious diseases for 35 years. They have proven to be great in hemato-oncological therapies and no one argues with their effectiveness anymore. Currently, in some cases cord blood stem cells are source of choice, and have better outcomes than bone marrow or haploidentical transplants - says prof. Krzysztof Kałwak, President of European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Pediatric Diseases Working Group. 

Cord blood can only be preserved once in a lifetime - during childbirth. Stem cells derived from it may in the future be used to save the health and life of not only their owner, but also his loved ones or unrelated patients. Collecting umbilical cord blood is unique opportunity in the life,  every parent should have the right to know about the pros and limitations of umbilical cord blood banking. After childbirth it may be donated for public use, family use or for research. 

Every gynecologist should inform pregnant women about the possibility that at the time of birth there is a unique opportunity to obtain the child's young stem cells completely painlessly and risk-free- admits prof. Prof. Dr. med. Michael Abou-Dakn, Head of Department, St Joseph’s hospital in Berlin. As the topic of this year World Cord Blood Day: every conversation may save life.

Vita34, as the largest stem cell bank in Europe, which provides option for family, public and hybrid banking, feels responsible for raising social awareness of the importance of umbilical cord blood for health protection and access to the most modern treatment methods. Hence company is involved  in various initiatives aimed at popularizing knowledge about cord blood , stem cells and its use in hematology and regenerative medicine

About Word Cord Blood Day:

World Cord Blood Day 2023 will provide the perfect opportunity for healthcare professionals, parents, and others to learn about this vital medical resource. The central point of World Cord Blood Day is a livestream conference with global opinion leaders in the field. Cord blood use in spina bifida and cerebral palsy take center stage alongside innovative cancer treatments for glioblastoma . That online event is free, participants should register at www.worldcordbloodday.org, and it will take place at 10 am ET (4.00 PM in Berlin) on November 15th. 

About Vita 34 & FamiCord Group.

Vita 34 & FamiCord Group is the leading stem cell bank in Europe and the third largest worldwide. The Group operates in most of markets in Europe. Driven by the principle of protecting life through the storage of stem cells from the umbilical cord, Vita 34, as a full-service provider with about 800 employees worldwide, provides all services related to the professional storage of stem cells obtained from the umbilical cord at birth. Learn more about Vita 34 on the company's websites: www.vita34.de   and  www.famicord.com