Cord blood & tissue storage was important given the risk of diabetes
Janine Marchment’s journey to storing her two sons stem cells began with her sister in law who met with Cell Care at a baby expo and discussed Janine’s husband’s diabetes and the potential future benefits of storing a baby’s stem cells.
Janine then spoke directly with the expert team at Cell Care about her husband’s diabetes and their difficulty falling pregnant.
Janine highlights that with the risk of her children developing diabetes, the possibility of being able “to help/save them with their own cord blood or tissue down the track was really important to both of us.”
Cell Care is partnering with The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in a world–first study investigating the potential of cord blood to prevent or delay the onset of type 1 diabetes in children at high risk of developing the disease.
Janine and Cell Care remained in regular contact and developed a strong relationship throughout both pregnancies. Janine commented that Cell Care’s role “played such a massive part in us getting our babies to begin with”, and how the collection process, “was really quick, easy and painless”.
There is only one opportunity to collect a baby’s stem cells for potential future use – at birth. Having stored both of her sons’ stem cells, Janine advocates for expectant parents to store their baby’s stem cells as, “you never know what can happen down the track.”
“Our boys are IVF fraternal twins 3 years apart so pretty special to us…collection of the cord blood and tissue was really important if they could help in the future.”
Janine Marchment, VIC.
