Parent Stories

Gina & Baby Benjamin

"We decided to store Benjamin’s cord blood because it gives us peace of mind. I recommend that other mums do their research. Ask your doctor or midwife and decide if it is right for you. It was definitely the right decision for us." Gina – Cell Care mum

Tommy's Journey

Channel 10's The Project featured the story of Tommy Bacon who was diagnosed with Juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia (JMML) and told his only hope of survival was a stem cell transplant. Tommy received a sibling cord blood transplant from his sister Aria at the Perth Children's Hospital in November 2023 and is currently cancer free.

Ash London's Journey

My cousin first told me about umbilical cord blood stem cell storage as it's something she did for both of her babies. At the time, I had no idea that it existed! However, I knew as soon as she explained the process to me that it was something I wanted to do when my son Buddy was born.

Charlotte West Journey

The Sunrise breakfast show on channel 7 recently featured the amazing story of Charlotte who has cerebral palsy. Charlotte received her sister Emma’s cord blood that was stored with Cell Care as part of a clinical trial.

Ben & Jackie Gillies – storing for our twins

Ben and Jackie Gillies welcomed their twin boys in October, 2021. The pair had decided early on that they would collect their sons’ cord blood and tissue at birth and store it with Cell Care. Simply put, it was like having a little extra insurance on the future health of their family...

Just a Calming Peace Of Mind

After six years of being ‘just friends’ (while I was not-so-secretly in love with him), my husband, Andrew, and I finally started dating in 2018. I was 36 and had already completed two very average rounds of egg freezing. Two months later, I was having an urgent six hour laparoscopic surgery in New York for Stage 4 Endometriosis. We were already talking about having babies, but we didn’t realise just how much work that dream might be to create...

I always regretted not doing this for my first two boys!

Before my elder two were born I vaguely knew about storing stem cells but it wasn’t much of a discussion really. But in the back of my mind I always had a little bit of regret, maybe we should have invested in the process if for nothing else but piece of mind...

Ash Pollard chooses to store her baby’s stem cells

After being diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, I was told that falling pregnant naturally may be difficult. So, when my partner and I found out we were pregnant we were over the moon, and naturally wanted to do everything we could for the health and wellbeing of our baby...

Ruben’s milestones keep improving: Ruben Proctor

Cell Care and the Cerebral Palsy Alliance have collaborated to fund a Phase 1 safety trial led by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute. Ruben Proctor participated in the trial by...

A remarkable impact on his life: Brodie Munz

Brodie Munz was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 18 months old. His symptoms were limited movement in his left side and development delays...

Say hello to Leo

Leo was born in Toronto in 2007. All was well until one evening when he was four months old. We were taking photos of our children when we noticed something odd. The flash of the camera had exposed something in Leo’s left eye. Just a day later Leo was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a childhood eye cancer typically affecting infants and children under 5 years of age...

Meet Jesse

Jesse was diagnosed with bilateral retinoblastoma (a type of eye cancer), which was spreading to his spinal fluid. Luckily, Jesse’s parents had banked his cord blood stem cells and he has been stable since his transplant in 2001...

My daughter saved my son’s life

Devon was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome at the age of two. Cord blood stem cells from his newborn sister saved his life...

Barrett's Story

When Barrett was born in 1997, his parents decided to bank his cord blood. Following cord blood treatment, today, his pancreas is still producing insulin, even though he has been living with type 1 diabetes since 2006...

Rebecca Judd stores daughter's umbilical cord

New mum Rebecca Judd has joined the growing ranks of Australian mothers choosing to store their newborn’s umbilical cord blood and tissue at the birth - to help provide an increased level of future health security for her child and family. With...

Rebecca Judd, VIC

Educate yourself early - once you have the baby, it’s too late

As cord blood and tissue can only be collected at birth, Amanda’s advice for other expectant parents is to consider your options well before your due date...

Amanda Jakovac, VIC

The research and potential uses backed up our decision to store

Your baby’s stem cells are a perfect match for your child and the properties of cord blood stem cells mean they more easily integrate into a patient’s body. Factors such as these, along with Cell Care’s assistance, were a key driver behind Lauren’s...

Lauren Whitelock, VIC

We stored our baby’s stem cells because it was too invaluable not to

Once that baby is in your arms, you’d sell your left hand to keep them safe, so it’s really not a hard decision to take advantage of such a wonderful service in health care...

Sam Nicklen, VIC

I’d like to think no expecting parent is unaware of cord blood storage

I would like to think that no expecting parent is unaware [of cord blood storage] as the word should be out there - midwifes, hospitals, doctors, social media, advertising - all of this is so important...

Rebecca Blight, QLD

Cord blood & tissue storage was important given the risk of diabetes

The risk of her children developing diabetes was an important driver for Janine to store cord blood and tissue for both her sons. Janine advocates for expectant parents to store their baby’s stem cells as...

Janine Marchment, VIC

Banking our daughters cord blood was a priority for us

Unfortunately due to cancer in my late 20's life saving treatment made me infertile and I was unable to have children unassisted... I know I would have regretted not having my daughters cord blood collected especially if she became ill later in life...

Samantha Bryant, VIC

We hope we never have to use the stem cells but are thankful they are there

We were advised by our Obstetrician Dr Carl Lam about Cell Care with our first child Archie who was born March 2016. When we again saw Dr Lam with our second child it was one of the first things we arranged with him...

Craig Scott, SA

Cord blood banking may help other family members in the future

Consider the fact that we don’t know what the future holds. We already have 2 older sons and the fact that this could help any of our 3 boys provides us with a great peace of mind...

Tabetha Couri, NSW

Cord blood and tissue storage was something we wanted to do for our baby

We had suffered 3 miscarriages and wanted to do everything in our power to ensure that our baby's health was protected for now and in the future. We had not previously heard of the availability of cord blood and tissue storage...

Jody Dodds, QLD

I am in awe of the scientific advances allowing the use of stem cells

I would highly recommend looking into the possibilities that come with cord blood collection and the ongoing medical advances allowing improved treatments. Cell Care provided more specific information about the current uses for cord blood and the potential...

Sarah and Ashley Prior, TAS

Why didn't someone tell me about storing my baby’s stem cells?

As a mother of a child with complex health issues I’ve felt helpless at times. I want to take every feeling of pain, uncertainty and disadvantage his condition causes away from him. In short, I guess I just want to do the best by him and...

Lucy Cornes

Jamie Triantis shares why she stored her baby’s cord blood with Cell Care

I wasn’t aware before my first pregnancy that umbilical cord blood and tissue is a rich source of stem cells that may be used for medical treatments. I learnt from reading and discussions with my doctor that stem cells from cord blood...

Jamie Triantis

Michael & Lindy Klim - Why we banked baby Frankie’s blood

I recently gave birth to our third child, a beautiful baby girl named Frankie. Since I gave birth to our first child, Stella, in 2006, I’ve noticed the amount of advice and information available to new mums has really grown. Something...

Michael & Lindy Klim

Kylie discusses why it was so important for her to store her baby’s cord blood and tissue

When preparing to have our first child, I read about the option to store our baby’s umbilical cord blood and tissue stem cells in a pregnancy magazine. I did a lot of research to find out what it was all about and what the potential benefits...

Kylie Koch

Jennifer Stuckey Ormiston, NSW

“Everybody that I dealt with was professional and friendly, right from my initial phone call up to collection of the cord blood. I was particularly impressed by the professionalism and flexibility of the collector. I had initial concerns...

Jennifer Stuckey Ormiston, NSW

Samantha

We spoke with our obstetrician who told us about the potential benefits of cord blood stem cells now and into the future, and for us it was a no brainer.

Samantha Romer

Potential future benefits of stem cell storage exceeds expectations

At her first Obstetrician appointment, Jing collected a cord blood banking brochure which led her to the Cell Care website to learn more. Jing found the potential future benefits of storing her baby’s stem cells exceeded…

Jing Liu, NSW