At NECBB, we believe cord blood has unlimited potential – this is proven time and again by the heartfelt stories that we receive from our clients. Just in time for the holidays, our founders, John and Cathy Rizza, received a letter from Leighsa M. Leighsa’s infant daughter Cameron was diagnosed with Fanconi’s Anemia, a rare blood disease that can be fatal: doctors did not expect her to live past her 10th birthday.
The daughter of a scientist and researcher, Leighsa believed in the potential power of cord blood for treating many different disorders, including her daughter’s. She later gave birth to two boys and banked their cord blood with NECBB. One of the boys, Conlan, was a 6/6 tissue match for his sister. In 2007, Cameron’s disease had progressed to a point where a transplant was necessary, and doctors were able to use her brother’s cord blood for the procedure.
The transplant was a success and today, nearly 3 years later, Cameron is a happy – and healthy – eleven-year-old.
Stories like these remind us of why we are doing what we do at NECBB. While the science is exciting and brings the constant discovery of new ways to treat disease with cord blood, a story like Cameron’s – where a little life was touched and saved because of cord blood – inspires and motivates us to continue in our mission to make these treatments available to families when they need them.
Tags: Fanconi Anemia, save a life, thank you letter, transplant
