FOX 4 was the first to tell you about the metro's first donation center for umbilical cord blood back in November.
Now metro moms giving birth at one hospital have the opportunity to save lives.
Morissa Friezen had a most convenient delivery. She works at St. Luke's Hospital.
"My water broke and I just came up the elevator to the second floor," she said.
There, she gave birth to Everett and she donated the blood in the umbilical cord.
"Didn't interfere with anything in the delivery room at all," Morissa said.
Blood in the cord contains precious cells, adult stem cells that can save the lives of people with certain cancers and anemias. The blood can also be used for research to possibly find cures for other diseases.
Morissa's cord blood is now being frozen inside a machine at St. Luke's at the metro's first cord blood donation center.
The idea for the center started after FOX 4 went to St. Louis several years ago to do a story on the cord blood bank there. A lab director at St. Luke's saw the story and contacted St. Louis about putting a satellite facility here.
"We have a lot of doctors that are very enthusiastic about our program," nurse coordinator Becky Patrick said.
Expectant moms get information in their ob's office. Those willing to donate fill out some paperwork. Twenty-five moms have donated since the center opened in December.
"We have to make sure the product is an extremely good product and everything is checked out fine on it," Patrick said. "Probably about a month, we'd send it by cryoshipper over to St. Louis where it will go into their bank."
There, it can be matched with someone, anyone around the world, who needs it to fight disease.
"We may never know if that really happens, but the potential is there," Morissa said.
Only women who deliver at St. Luke's main hospital in Kansas City can donate, but the program could eventually expand to other St. Luke's locations.
Now metro moms giving birth at one hospital have the opportunity to save lives.
Morissa Friezen had a most convenient delivery. She works at St. Luke's Hospital.
"My water broke and I just came up the elevator to the second floor," she said.
There, she gave birth to Everett and she donated the blood in the umbilical cord.
"Didn't interfere with anything in the delivery room at all," Morissa said.
Blood in the cord contains precious cells, adult stem cells that can save the lives of people with certain cancers and anemias. The blood can also be used for research to possibly find cures for other diseases.
Morissa's cord blood is now being frozen inside a machine at St. Luke's at the metro's first cord blood donation center.
The idea for the center started after FOX 4 went to St. Louis several years ago to do a story on the cord blood bank there. A lab director at St. Luke's saw the story and contacted St. Louis about putting a satellite facility here.
"We have a lot of doctors that are very enthusiastic about our program," nurse coordinator Becky Patrick said.
Expectant moms get information in their ob's office. Those willing to donate fill out some paperwork. Twenty-five moms have donated since the center opened in December.
"We have to make sure the product is an extremely good product and everything is checked out fine on it," Patrick said. "Probably about a month, we'd send it by cryoshipper over to St. Louis where it will go into their bank."
There, it can be matched with someone, anyone around the world, who needs it to fight disease.
"We may never know if that really happens, but the potential is there," Morissa said.
Only women who deliver at St. Luke's main hospital in Kansas City can donate, but the program could eventually expand to other St. Luke's locations.
