Umbilical Cord Blood Bank - Cord Blood Donation Knowledge Base

Cord Blood Donation Knowledge Base

Has anyone heard of this type of cord blood donation? My hospital gives me the option of donating cord blood. This is apparently different from cord blood banking since the cord blood can be used by anyone and it is free. I had my daughter's cord blood donated at her birth (thought, why not?) And am planning to donate my son's cord blood at his birth. Does anyone know how long the cord blood would be stored and if there is a chance your own child can use it?

What is the cord blood donation process like? They take the blood...Where does it go, does it cost money, is it really beneficial? How does it work?

Cord blood donation what is your thought? Im 13 weeks pregnant and seriously thinking of donating my babies cord blood, when the time comes. Has any of you done it? What do you think about it? Would you do it?

Is umbilical cord cells donation the same as umbilical cord blood donation? Any difference or is it exactly the same thing?

Cord blood donation or banking? Has anyone here donated or banked their cord blood? I've been looking at information online and am interested. My hospital also participates in cord blood donation. I was wondering if anyone here had done it, or needed cord blood and any experiences they had with the process.

free baby cord blood donation? I am looking to donate my baby's cord blood to a bank. My hospital said I need to find a kit and have it ready for donation when I go into the hospital. I was hoping to find something where it doesn't cost me anything but i'm not coming up with anything on the internet. Any direction would be helpful. Is it going to cost me money either way?

Cord Blood Donation Question? Are there any agencies that allow you to donate cord blood to a specific person? I know you can donate blood to a specific person for free, in the case of a surgery or something that you know may require blood. Cord Blood banking is so expensive, but if its DONATED to a person who may need it, are there any ways to get a break on cost? Please only answer this question if you have experience with this or a good resource. I already looked at a bunch of websites and none say anything about donating to an individual person. Thanks to all.

Cord blood donation suggestions? I'm pregnant and considering donating my cord blood when my child is born. Does anybody know of any trustable non-for-profit organizations that they would recommend? I live in Canada. Any suggestions? more specifically: I'm in Ontario, Canada.

Question about cord blood donation? I'm 32 weeks pregnant. Is it too late to inquire and register to donate cord blood? I heard you have to do it early but I don't remember how early it had to be done.

Cord Blood Donation? Donation was not possible when my son was born because the hospital didn't offer it and am thinking about donating my daughter's cord blood. Has anyone done this? Any thoughts? Yep really am talking about donation. Banking is really expensive and there's no evidence that it can really help and no long term research as to storage degradation

Parents, how do you feel about cord blood donation? I got a TD on an answer I gave about cord blood donation and was just wondering if there are any other parents out there who anonymously donated (or would donate) their child's cord blood. There is a national program through the same agency that facilitates marrow donations for cancer patients from unrelated, anonymous donors, when there is no familial "match." There are several public cord blood banks that store donated cord blood for free, adding the HLA type of each donation to the national registry. The registry can be searched by medical professionals with a patient in need of a cord blood transplant to find a "match" for that patient. There is not enough to save half and donate the other half. It is one or the other. But, if your child should ever need cord blood, her doctor can search the registry for a matching unit. Momto2inFL...NO, it's FREE, hence the tern "donation." You don't have to pay anything to donate it or have it stored. The blood bank and the donor registry cover the cost. There are several hospital in FL that participate in public cord blood banking. Amber: That is why cord blood DONATION is so important. It is true that a person's own banked cord blood can be used as a "treatment" for some illnesses, but cannot be used for transplants as in the case of leukemia, but cord blood form an unrelated donor can! There have been many children saved by receiving a cord blood transplants from an anonymous donor. Also to Amber: By donating it to the national registry, you ARE donating it to family. If they ever needed it, their doctor could search the registry and find out if there was a match. Once you donate it, it is frozen and viable for transplant for 10 years. If you throw it away, then nobody benefits. I also would not pay to bank my child's cord blood, but I will donate it every time. CHARLI: I am SO sorry to hear that. Very sorry for your loss. My only hope is that the two units of cord blood I donated will help somebody, somewhere, sometime...

What is the cord blood donation process like? Cost? Curious, I think I will do it. From the great things I have heard about it. But I also heard it was expensive?

Cord blood donation? Anyone here deliver a baby recently and not donate your cord blood to the public cord bank? If so, why?

Question about cord blood donation... (The actual collection process!)? We've made arrangements to have our baby's cord blood donated, and have already received the kit in the mail & everything. (I'm 35 weeks) I was wondering, when they do the collection of the cord blood, do they do it before the cord is cut, or after the cord is cut? I was hoping to let the umbilical cord stop pulsating before having it cut - Is this out the question when collecting cord blood? It's fine with me if I can't have it that way now, I already have the kit and everything, I was just wondering how it was all done!

Can my brother's spinal cord injury be treated with my child's cord blood? My brother became a paraplegic in 2004 in a motor-vehicle accident. I've been trying to research cord blood donation and I have found that it "could" be used in treating sibling ailments. However, I was wondering if anyone has any information on using it to cure/ treat spinal cord injuries. Or the success of matching uncle/nephew stem cells. Thank you in advance! I'm just curious if there has been any clinical trials in the US...ect or where I can go to find more information.

Is there any other way to register for donating your umbilical cord blood other than the 1-800 number? I've gotten a ton of papers for umbilical cord donation and I've already signed papers with my hospital for it. I was just wondering if anyone else has registered through a website or something other than the 1-800 number you have to call in order to make sure you're eligible. Sorry for the confusion but I'm talking about cord blood donation, not banking.

Cancer and Cord Blood transplant questions. I am doing research and finding a little more details about cord blood transplant. Please answer whatever questions you can even if you can't answer them all. Also if you have any good websites that answer questions or allow you to ask questions, that would be helpful. 1. After a cord blood transplant, if the patient is male and the blood that is used is female, will the patient’s blood now test as female? Also vise verse with female patient and male cord blood donation? I have also heard that if O type blood is used the patient can also change blood types? 2. I have heard that before and during the procedure the patients are very weak. About how long does this time period last? 3. What kind of medication has to be taken after a successful cord blood transplant? Is there a chance that a person will be medication free? 4. What are the most common problems/symptoms that occur after a successful cord blood transplant? How long till a person is completely back on their feet? 5. If a person didn’t say anything about the cord blood transplant and were to have their blood tested, would there be anything in their blood that would identify them as a cord blood recipient?

Cord blood banking and donating? Since I have gotten pregnant, I have seen ads and ads for cord blood banking. Of course, like many starting families, my husband and I just don't have the money to bank it ourselves. Besides, both of us have come from pretty healthy families and would probably not have a use for the cord blood. But if it is not banked, it gets thrown away? I asked my doctor about donating cord blood and she had no information about it at all! She had plenty of information about banking, though. Sure, I've done my research on the internet and found a company that accepts cord blood donations, but I guess I waited too long to find it since they want me registered by my 34th week and I'm on my 33rd week. Not to mention I'm in Minnesota and the closest location is in either Missouri or Illinois. So now I know it IS possible to donate.. that isn't my question.. My question is.. Why is it that we hear so much about expenive Cord Blood Banking and the miracles of cord blood through paying hundreds of dollars to store it for your family, but nobody ever mentions the option of donating and hardly anyone has any information about it? If it works so many miracles, why is it that most of the time, the cord blood gets thrown away? It seems like such a waste!!

Is a husband able to cut the umbilical cord if we're donating the cord blood? I'm wondering if the routine changes when cutting the cord. We want to donate the cord blood, but my husband would like to cut the cord when the baby's born. Will he still be able to do that or will the doctor have to do it for donation purposes? In response to Vegan-We're actually donating to a public bank, b/c we can donate for free. Most studies show that if baby has a problem, they can't have their own cells back anyway, so we figured someone might as well have a chance to use it. Otherwise, it's just garbage.

Have you thought about donating the cord blood after your baby was born? My brother in law passed away this past week. He was a kidney transplant recipient. I am currently 19 weeks pregnant and I have never stopped to think about donating the cord blood, that is, until his death and my sisters desire to have any donations go to the "Gift of Life." Do you think it is a good idea?

Donate cord blood or bank it? I suppose one would rather keep it incase their own child needs it in the future seeing as it's an exact match...... but the possibility of them needing it is low, and if you were to donate it and other people were donating it, then does that mean there would most likely be cord blood available from other people's donations if your kids need it in the future? What do you reckon? Has anyone banked or donated the cord blood? How much does it cost to bank it?

Should I donate my baby's cord blood? I tend to think donation makes more sense than storage because researchers are still in the process of studying the whole concept of cord blood and stem cells. Also, storage is expensive. What does anybody think?

Umbilical Cord Blood Question - Collection at time of birth without parent consent? When my son was born my husband said that the doctor was collecting blood from the umbilical cord into a small tube. There was so much going on at the time that we never asked why he was doing it (we were exhausted and overwhelmed) and it's been over a year since and I haven't had the opportunity to ask. Does anyone know why the doctor would be collecting blood? Is this typical? The doctor never mentioned a word about this. There is so much information now about cord blood collection (private and donated) that I want to make sure the doctor didn't use it without our permission (although I do know there is a large fee for private, so I know this isn't what happened, but we are not sure if he donated it). Wouldn't the doctor have to get permission from us? Or is the blood used to run test on the newborn? How much blood is needed for a donation? Just unsure of all the medical stuff. Could someone please explain...it just bothers me every time I think of it! I would love an answer to hopefully put my mind at ease! :) Thanks!!

I would like to know where I can publicly donate my child's cord blood in Los Angeles.? My hospital will no longer accept donations.

Will you donate your baby's cord blood? Has anyone told you it is important? Have you investigate donating? Seven years ago today a baby we don't know was born to a mother we had never met in a city we have no clue about. For reasons unknown to us that mother told the doctors to save her baby's umbilical cord blood and put it in the national bank. According to the label on the stem cells my daughter received, the were donated on January 15, 2001 (which would be the donor's birthday). On May 18, 2007 my then 19 month old daughter's life was saved by that donation. Those cells were used to transplant her bone marrow to help fight a disease that would have taken her from us. First mentally, then physically by age 10. Donations are still needed. Some people still can't find perfect matches like my daughter had. Perfect matches and even close matches for minorities are rare also... Please ask your OB/GYN how you can donate. Be prepared- those that don't understand the importance may wave you off... but it is important. Be persistant if you are willing to give this wonderful gift. I understand the costs being prohibitive for some... but I dont think that people realize (in SOME places) you can donate your child's cord blood to the public cord blood bank for free. It may or may not be there if you or your child needs it in the future, but it would be there for somebody who needed it. Thanks for giving me an oppourtunity to share this with you all. I forgot to leave my daughter's website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laurenslife/

Is it appropriate to ask for a donation in lieu of gifts for a baby shower? A relative of mine is having a baby shower and she would like to ask for donations so that she and her husband can pay to harvest cord blood with the Cord Blood Registry. (www.cordblood.com) This would be in addition to her regular registries ( babiesRUs, etc.)

if you have herpes can you still bank your cord blood? i dont know where i got it from because i was married for 3 years when i had my first outbreak and NO neither one of us cheat, my husband doesn't even have it. but my question is, i am pregnant and would like to be able to save the cordblood in a private bank for ourselves. Can i still do it? because i know that public banks won't accept donations from people with herpes. and do you know why that is? Can you get herpes from blood? i wish i would have saved my first childs cordblood then this wouldn't even be a issue! Allie if you are uneducated in the subject then don't answer. herpes can come from clothing and toilets and i could have gotten it from before i was with my husband. and yes it is possible he doesn't get it even though we have unprotected sex. you're talking to a person who knows a lot more about it then you do. i don't need a lecture from some kid i asked a question about my childs cordblood because there is diabetes in our family and it could save my children from haveing 42 shots a week for the rest of their lives. i would much rather have herpes then all of the things cord blood can cure. Thanks twox2, its not like i wanted it and feel good about having. i was worried about people being cruel about it. thanks for being nice. my doctor said she is going to put me a valtrex before my due date so i dont have an outbreak so i REALLY hope i dont have to have a c-section. that thought scares me very much!!

Can they really pass federal funding for human harvesting? I mean couldnt conservatives use the precedent of what ever law allows concientious objectors not to fight to state why you cant force pro lifers to pay for human harvesting which everyone should really find disturbing... i mean abortions are a fix to an unwanted pregnancy... human harvesting though thats pretty freaky... I for one am freezing my childs cord blood for the stem cells and theres so many cures that can provide. Why not federally fund that i mean that would be fine on all sides many hospitals accept cord blood donations for research for the stem cells. But instead i guess well fight for the extreme all in or all out option rather then go that middle ground. Sad wonder what could be cured using cord blood. I wish more of us could find the middle ground but our democracy is politcly flawed by design our founding fathers wanted them to argue and not mess up there lives with new laws.

Is it OK to ask for donations towards an item that cannot be put on a baby registry? Baby shower and registry etiquette have relaxed quite a bit over the years and I am taking full advantage as I prepare for my shower. However, I cannot seem to find any good advice on asking for 'donations' towards my baby's cord blood registry. What are your thoughts?

Would you save a life if you could? If you or someone you know is pregnant I am asking you to check into donating the cord blood at the birth. To learn more about it. go to http://www.parentsguidecordblood.org/ It won't cost you anything to donate it, it doesn't hurt you or the baby in anyway and the blood is just thrown away otherwise. People are dying everyday from blood cancers that could be cured with a donation from your baby. How amazing is that? Please, Please learn more about it. Someone dies every 5 minutes from a blood cancer. Leukemia, Lymphoma, Hodgkin's Disease,etc.

Why are the against research of..? What are the reasons that people are against cord blood research? Also with stem cell research?I am giving a persuasive speech on organ donation and want to know why their is such a stink about it?

Child with cancer? If you had a child with cancer, would you have another baby to save the ill child's life? What if the umbilical cord blood could save the ill child's life (the stem cells from the umbilical cord blood can be used instead of bone marrow). Umbilical cord blood is usually discarded, but can be taken directly after birth with NO discomfort to the baby. The stem cells in the blood can be used for a bone marrow transplant...and a donation from a full sibling has the lowest risk of rejection from the ill child. Would you have another? To address whether this question is real.... yes it is. My almost 3-year-old daughter has a type of cancer called neuroblastoma. Stem cell transplants are routinely used for treatment. She is doing well now, but in the event of relapse, having cord blood on hand could be crucial in saving her life. I remind you that taking umbilical cord blood does not hurt the baby. It is normally considered medical waste and thrown away after delivery. BTW - I am 26 weeks pregnant with another little blessing. I made up my mind a while ago, but am still curious to see other people's opinions. I respect that there are differing opinions and realize there is no clear right or wrong here.

Child with Cancer? A similar question has been asked, but I want to ask it again: If you had a child with cancer, would you have another baby to save the ill child's life? What if the umbilical cord blood could save the ill child's life (the stem cells from the umbilical cord blood can be used instead of bone marrow). Umbilical cord blood is usually discarded, but can be taken directly after birth with NO discomfort to the baby. The stem cells in the blood can be used for a bone marrow transplant...and a donation from a full sibling has the lowest risk of rejection from the ill child. Would you have another? To Haley: You are absolutely right...there is only a 25 percent chance of a match for bone marrow. With cord blood, it only needs to be a 4/6 HLA match, rather than a 6/6 because the cells are less mature. Chances of having a match are a bit higher. :) We are pregnant again (26 weeks), but chose to do so because we would love to have another child... However, we will be storing her cord blood using a designated cord blood transplant program. Just in case ... (our child has neuroblastoma). Chances are we will never need it...my daughter is doing really well! Also, they tend to do autologous BMT's first. You just never know how treatments can change over time, though!! Thank you for your answer! I hope you are doing well after treatment ... good luck to you and God Bless! To midnight... Thank you for your answer. It was exactly your type of answer I was curious about. Most people think it is, as the first answerer put it, a "no-brainer." You clearly know that it is not a no-brainer. As you know, there are very deep ethical and moral issues involved. FYI - we are pregnant with our 3rd child, and it is possible our 1st is a match. We planned ahead... before it would be too late. We are storing cord blood as a "just-in-case", especially since it will be at no cost to us, pain-free to take from the baby, and could potentially be used even if it were a 4/6 match. And, we are overjoyed to be welcoming our third baby into our lives... each one is a blessing :) Oh, autologous transplants are when the cells are transplanted back into the person they were harvested from. Allogenic transplants are when cells are transplanted into someone else. If we used cord blood, it would be an allogenic transplant. Best of luck to you and thank you for your answer! To midnight... I also wanted to acknowledge your suggestion to get help on how to ensure the other child does not feel as though the were brought into the world just to save the other. You are right, this was part of our decision making process. When weighing the pros and cons of having another child, this scenario falls under both categories. It is a pro, because it could potentially save another child's life, yet it is a con because you do not want to make the decision for the wrong reasons...this next child has every right to live and be loved just because they are...not because they provided stem cells. This scenario did tip the scales... I will admit that. But, it is not the sole reason we would have another baby. It is one of many reasons...1. we are a stable married couple who are not teenagers (30 & 33), 2. we are good parents, 3. we believe having siblings is good for all the children, 4. we love children...etc... I did take your message to heart. Thanks!

Pregnancy & child w/ cancer? If you had a child with cancer, would you have another baby to save the ill child's life? What if the umbilical cord blood could save the ill child's life (the stem cells from the umbilical cord blood can be used instead of bone marrow). Umbilical cord blood is usually discarded, but can be taken directly after birth with NO discomfort to the baby. The stem cells in the blood can be used for a bone marrow transplant...and a donation from a full sibling has the lowest risk of rejection from the ill child. Would you have another? For those who were asking, yes, this is a real situation: my almost three-year-old has a type of cancer called neuroblastoma. I am 26 weeks pregnant with another baby. We were not planning on having another, but welcome our upcoming new daughter. Each child is a blessing. I was asking because to me having another was a no-brainer. Of course I would if it could save may other baby's life...and we would be happy to have the pitter-patter of little feet in our house again. However, I have found many people disagree with our decision to take the cord blood. Thanks for all of your honest and sincere answers. I really appreciate it! Oh, and I am not giving thumbs down to anyone. I fully respect that each has his or her own view on the matter. Again... I appreciate all your answers.

What is your take on it? Well my period was due March 26th-March 30th (today) and no sign of period! Woop! But still won't let myself test, lol. So I've just been thinking about some stuff. What do you think of the Cord Blood Banking idea? I really think it's a good idea, for both a donation or a safe "just in case" thing for your baby, you know? I don't personally have any hereditary conditions that would call for it but it starts somewhere, eh? So has anyone invested in it or had an experience with it (good or bad)? And what's your opinion on the subject? Just a little question to get my mind off of testing *lol* Yeah I never really thought about that, I must have understood it wrong. It makes sense that you can't use the cord blood for a hereditary disease *lol* silly, silly me. But it's still always good for donation (:

What should I say to my daughter's donor? Need opinions of those not so emotionally tied to this...? Seven years ago today a baby we don't know was born to a mother we had never met in a city we have no clue about. For reasons unknown to us that mother told the doctors to save her baby's umbilical cord blood and put it in the national bank. According to the label on the stem cells my daughter received, the were donated on January 15, 2001 (which would be the donor's birthday). On May 18, 2007 my then 19 month old daughter's life was saved by that donation. Those cells were used to transplant her bone marrow to help fight a disease that would have taken her from us. First mentally, then physically by age 10. I started to write the child, then I realized I should write the parents.. then I thought, 'maybe there is just a mother' ... I don't know... I just want them to know how heartfelt my appreciation is. I have to send the letter through the hospital as donations are anonymous. But I will send contact info in case they want to communicate. yahoo group: laurenslife

Is it okay to break every baby shower etiquette rule there is? I am 37 weeks pregnant with my first child and I am a bit of a control freak these days. I am having a baby shower but apparently I am breaking every etiquette rule there is and I'm starting to get nervous about it. I am very shy about people staring at me so I decided to have the shower after my little girl is born so all the attention can be focused on her and not me. I am throwing myself a baby shower (broken rule #1) in a hotel banquet room with catered food (broken rule #2) and I making it a come and go as you please event (broken rule #3) and not opening gifts at the shower so people are not staring at me for a couple of hours while I do it (broken rule #4) and we are privately storing the cord blood stem cells and adding money donations to the process as part of the registry (broken rule #5). So I am really going out on a limb and I'm sure to offend some guests with one of these choices. How do I make the atmosphere really happy and entertaining to distract from doing all these things that make me happy but not my guests?

Can Cloned Meat Cause Mad Cow Disease in Humans? Ok,I've been looking this up since they're having a meat recall.but I recently found this. “Mad cow” is an infectious disease in the brain of cattle. Humans who become infected, usually by eating tissue from diseased cattle, will die of a similar brain disease that may develop over many years. Abnormal proteins called prions are found in brain tissue of diseased cattle. Prions eat away at the brain and create tiny spongelike holes in parts of the brain. These so-called spongy holes cause slow deterioration within the cattle brain, and eventually symptoms affecting the whole body. Death follows. The scientific name for mad cow disease in cattle is called bovine spongiform encephalopathy (meaning sick brain) or BSE, meaning a sickness of the cow’s brain. If humans eat diseased tissue from cattle, they may develop the human form of mad cow disease known as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in its classic form usually occurs in older people through an inherited tendency of the brain to change or spontaneously for no apparent reason. The type identified as occurring from eating diseased cattle occurs in younger people and has atypical clinical features, with prominent psychiatric or sensory symptoms at the time of clinical presentation and delayed onset of neurologic abnormalities. These neurologic abnormalities include ataxia within weeks or months, dementia (loss of memory and confusion) and myoclonus late in the illness, a duration of illness of at least 6 months, and a diffusely abnormal non-diagnostic electroencephalogram. The transmissible agents that cause the disease in both cattle and humans are “prions.” Prions are not like bacteria or viruses that cause other infectious diseases; rather, they are infectious proteins. Diseased prions are found in the brain, spinal cord, eye (in the retina), and other tissues of the nervous system of affected animals or humans. In addition, prions can be found outside the nervous system including the bone marrow, spleen, and lymph nodes. Low levels of prions may also be found in blood. Prions are highly resistant to heat, ultraviolet light, radiation, and disinfectants that normally kill viruses and bacteria. Prions may infect humans who eat meat from infected cattle. Even cooking meat infected with BSE does not eliminate the prions or the risk. Once infection occurs, there is a long incubation period that typically lasts several years. When prions reach a critical level in the brain, symptoms such as depression, difficulty walking, and dementia occur and progress rapidly. Scientists believe that BSE is transmitted from animals to humans when humans eat meat from infected animals. The content of infected brain tissue may be higher in some food products than others, and it may also depend on the way the animal was slaughtered. BSE be transmitted from one human to another through cannibalism or through transplantation of infected tissue. Consequently, certain human blood products and blood donations are not accepted from people who have lived in areas of the world where BSE outbreaks have occurred in cattle. BSE has been shown to be transmissible by blood transfusion in an experimental model using sheep. The blood of BSE-infected sheep has been shown to be infectious even in the preclinical stage of disease, and there has been a report of possible transmission of vCJD by blood transfusion to a single person in the United Kingdom. In December 2003, the first case of BSE in the United States was detected in a dairy cow in the state of Washington. Before that, a devastating, major outbreak occurred in the United Kingdom (England and Ireland) in the 1980s. BSE and resulting cases of vCJD in humans have been diagnosed in the UK and in European countries such as Bosnia-Herzegovina, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Norway, Sweden, and Yugoslavia. Because there is no way to detect BSE in blood, people who have lived in these areas from 1980 to the present are not allowed to donate blood in the US, under January 2002 guidelines from the US Food and Drug Administration. Overall, prion diseases are a large group of related conditions affecting the nervous system, which affect both animals and humans. Included is Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), discussed in detail here in relation to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, mad cow disease). Another human prion disease is Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker (GSS). In animals, chronic wasting disease (CWD) is found in mule deer and elk in the US, and scrapie is a similar condition found in sheep. Cases have been reported in the US. These diseases all take a long time to develop but are typically rapidly progressive once symptoms begin. All prion diseases are fatal. Animals and humans who develop a prion disease will die of it. There is no effective treatment. It is important to understand how these diseases are transmitted in order to prevent their spread.

I feel horribly selfish... but i don't know what to do...? My mother is throwing my baby shower. My little sister has juvenile diabetes. I told my mom a long time ago about cord blood and how they were using it to help cure sickness and stuff like stem cells.. and that relatives work well. My mom thinks that having my babies stem cell blood can cure my sisters diabetes. Because of this and the price it takes to do this.. like 2000 i think for most places.. She wanted to put on my baby shower invites the option of donating for this. (because she has already got me most of the things I need) Anyways i feel horrible because i don't want this to happen. My husband and I are really struggling for money and having this money from donations would really help us out with our medical bills. However when i told my mom this she thinks its crazy that i would want to do this instead of help my sister.. but the thing is, is i don't think it works that way. I don't know what to do. I do love and care about my sister, but i really need the money. I mean if this happens then that means i won't be getting anything from the shower at all really in a time where this extra money would help a lot. It just seems to me that if this was the case, and they could cure diabetes (type one) like this, more people would do it and you would hear about it. Am i being selfish? What should I do? oh and my sister also has celiac disease as well... the only reason i would be asking for donations is because i have almost everything i need for the baby, and the sex is a surprise... i have clothes and all that except for breast pump and changing table.. by the way for M kerr... we weren't planning on getting pregnant at all.. it just happened. I would have like to have waited longer...

What sounds better to put on a baby shower invitation...........? My sister wants to raise money to bank her baby's blood bank. So on her invitation she's going to write that she'd like people to bring donations. This is what she going to write but we're not sure what sounds better for the last sentence... "Becky really wants to bank her baby's blood cord, to protect Baby Angie's future and health. Please help Baby Angie out by bringing donations." Or "Becky really wants to bank her baby's blood cord, to protect Baby Angie's future and health. You can help Baby Angie out by bringing donations." Which last sentence sounds better? "Please help" or "You can help"? She doesn't want to sound greedy but she wants people to bring money. Which would make more people bring money? I feel that if she puts "You can help" then people won't bring anything because it's like an option. But she doesn't want to sound greedy.

Please help to complete this survey on Stem cell research? (for my Social Science course)? Note: The issue concerning the stem cell research had lead to a debate with many views about ethics. The research is been able to isolate cells in the embryos, which are soon to become into cells within the body. The embryonic stem and germ cells are found either by the donation of embryos and/or from pregnancies that are terminated for medical or social reasons. For the ones who believe that a life begins right after conception, the blastosyst is then an actual human life and to destroy it is clearly immoral and unacceptable. The objection to stem cell causes the destruction of an embryo or fetus. That became the destruction of a potential human. Though, conducted correctly, the stem cells are to grow into a liver, lung, heart, nerve cells but the endless possibilities. The research is for patients who are suffering from diseases who unable to wait for a transplant and also find cures for diseases. Survey questions 1) What is your gender? a) Male b) Female 2) How old are you? a)10 - 20 years old b) 20 – 30 years old c) 30 – 40 years old d) 40 – 50 years old e) 50 – 60 years old f) 60 + years old 3) Have you or your family member needed stem cell in order to live? a) Yesb) No 4) Do you think it is ethical to take blood from a baby’s umbilical cord in order to attain stem cells? a) Yesb) No 5) Do you face societal pressures regarding the morality of using stem cell? (Family, friends, religion, community) a) Yesb) Noc) Sometimes 6) Would you support government funding towards stem cell research using government taxes? a) Yesb) No 7) How do you feel that it is alright to have family members having stem cell? a) Yesb) No 8) Do you consider stem cell research as taking a life of a potential human? a) Yesb) No 9) Would you donate blood/ bone marrow obtain stem cells to save one’s life? a) Yesb) No 10) If you were asked to give blood towards research, would you give permission for the hospital to do so? a) Yesb) No Thank you for taking your time to complete this survey

If the media is not liberal then why are they not reporting the progress in Iraq? Evidence of improvement in Iraq. By Bill Crawford An important step in stemming the violence in Iraq is to find a formula to share the country’s oil revenues fairly between the three main groups: Shiite, Sunnis, and Kurds. Iraq is preparing to take a step in the right direction by providing opportunities for foreign oil firms to invest in the country, thereby increasing its output and revenues: The production-sharing agreements (PSAs) would allow oil giants to sign 30-year contracts for extracting Iraqi oil. Under PSAs, the state retains legal ownership of its oil but gives a share of the profits to companies that invest in infrastructure and in operating the wells, pipelines and refineries. The newspaper [the Independent] said that under the draft law, oil companies could recoup 60 to 70 per cent of revenue until initial costs had been recovered, which compares to around 40pc usually. Along the same lines, Lt. General Graeme Lamb, Deputy Commander of Multinational Forces-Iraq, sees 2007 as the year that Iraq moves forward, and says he sees plenty of progress to base his optimism on: Let me give you an example. I was out at Hit the other day, Ramadi. The battalion commander out there, young battalion commander — actually, I suppose he's not that young; he just looks it — had been in Ramadi two years before, had done a full year's tour. As far as he was concerned, he always just seemed to be going backwards. When I saw him the other day, as far as he was concerned, they were making huge progress. Ramadi. Four months ago I don't think there was any policemen in the town. Seven hundred and ninety-one now. They were shot at from a building. Two hundred policemen drawn together surrounded the building, cleared it. Now, that's just an example of some progress. I then look at some of the economic issues. I look at the megawatts of power that are coming on line. I see some of the reconstruction programs that are going out. Now, that gives me a degree of optimism. I see this prime minister. I see this government. I see the challenges they face, and I'm not trying to dismiss the difficulties or trying to give you some sort of political upbeat spin. I don't do optimism. I don't do pessimism. I just do realism as I see it. And I do spend a lot of time out here. I spend a lot of time out here. I got a feel for the Arabs. So it's just the way I see it, and it's not sort of in effect trying to — I don't know — make something out of nothing. I think the situation here — you know, as someone once said — I think it was a field marshal of ours said things are never as good or as bad as you think they are. I just see these in fact at a point in turning. Mosul and al Qaim are other areas where significant progress has been made over the past year. In Mosul, Iraqi police and army forces have brought law and order to a historically violent area: “Yes, there is violence in this city. But, there is violence in American cities that have nearly two million people in their population as well,” said [Maj. Gen. Benjamin R.] Mixon. Recognizing the similar levels of violence in a comparable city in America, Twitty paints an optimistic picture of the current state of Mosul and Ninewa Province. “Amidst the turmoil and issues that persist in Iraq, there is a semblance of peace and normalcy in the north. Ninewa’s leadership works hard to provide its citizens security, build its economy, and implement programs that will continue to keep sectarian violence from the province,” said Twitty. “One thing we cannot do is attempt to put an American standard on any Iraqi city,” said Twitty. “We have to remember that this country lived under a dictator for more than 30 years. The major and significant difference between U.S. cities and Mosul is the use of improvised explosive devices, rocket-propelled grenades, and other military - grade weapons. Anti-Iraqi forces persist in their attacks, but the Iraqi security forces, consisting of the Iraqi Army, border patrol and police, continue to quell those attacks daily,” Twitty continued. Al Qaim was frequently called the “Wild West,” but the Marines cleaned the area up in 2005, and the situation is improving daily: Two years ago, the same streets were fraught with roadside bombs and snipers, and sellers and buyers stayed away. The area was considered too dangerous even for a quick tour by a U.S. general in his armored Humvee. The Al Qaim region routinely was described as an out-of-control "wild west" where the Marines were fighting, with only limited success, to control the smuggling of insurgent fighters and weapons from Syria. Today, Marines walk the downtown beat, chatting with residents, fielding their complaints, encouraging them to contact the Iraqi police if they suspect insurgent activity. In a country studded with areas where the United States either has failed or had only limited progress toward stabilization, Husaybah and the surrounding Al Qaim region stand out as a success, officials said. Unfortunately, the American people aren’t hearing about this, as Army medic Corporal Ignacio Garza observes: Based on his experiences in Iraq, events there are not as bad as the news media make it seem, an Army medic from Adrian said. Cpl. Ignacio Garza, a medic in the 1st Armored Division home on leave after serving in Iraq for six months, said the troops don’t watch television news for war updates because they think none of the networks show an accurate depiction of what’s happening. He said they ignore large parts of the country, including the Kurd-dominated north, that are stable. In fact, if the mainstream media isn’t ignoring a story in Iraq they could just as easily be making one up. For the second time in six weeks, the Associated Press has put out a story from Iraq that isn’t backed by the facts: The Associated Press has again put out an Iraq story detailing events that did not happen. This time, it involves an airstrike that, " killed a family of four during a firefight." However, according to the press desk of Multi-National Forces-Iraq, no air strike happened during that firefight, and MNF-I also reported that which six insurgents were killed by American troops in Baghdad on January 1. This is the second time in roughly six weeks that the AP has been caught fabricating events. Iraqi Security Forces In an operation on January 7, members of the 6th Iraqi army division captured the leader of a cell responsible for kidnappings, murder, IED attacks, and car bombings. Near Baqubah, soldiers of the 5th Iraqi army killed three insurgents during an operation to capture a cell leader. The Iraqi patrol came under fire from men exiting a mosque. They returned fire, killing three. The 1st Iraqi army division assumed tactical command of the 2nd Brigade on January 9. The brigade will operate within Fallujah: “We will be loyal soldiers to defend our precious country and to implement security and stability,” said Brig. Gen. Khalid Juad Khadum, the commanding general of 2nd Brigade. “And this will hit the pages of history in godly words, and we promise Allah that we will take care of this handover and to protect it, God willing, until the last drop of our blood, and Allah is a witness of what we say.” The Iraqi police enlisted 301 recruits during a recent recruiting drive in Fallujah and Habbaniyah. The new recruits will undergo six-week basic training in Jordan. Another 400 were enlisted during a recruiting drive in Ramadi. The situation was far different last year: One year ago a murderous intimidation campaign prevented local Iraqis from enlisting in Ramadi. Recruiting numbers for police were insignificant. More than 1,000 enlisted in the police force last month. Over 800 are expected to enlist in Anbar Province this month. “The local tribes stood up to the intimidation campaign and are taking back their city from the terrorists,” said the Coalition spokesman in Ramadi Marine Maj. Riccoh Player. “Hundreds of Iraqi Police are holding areas cleared by Iraqi and American forces in recent operation in the worst neighborhoods of Ramadi,” said Player. “Building and manning a police station in Ramadi is what progress looks like in a counterinsurgency.” Based on tips from Iraqi civilians, the Iraqi national police, with Coalition forces, detained ten and uncovered several weapons caches during an operation in Baghdad: The operation was the result of tips from local citizens of possible insurgents and weapons caches in the neighborhood. The national police seized three large weapons caches containing one rifle fitted with a silencer, one machine gun, one sniper rifle, assorted small arms ammunition and bomb-making materials. In Fallujah, Iraqi police and army troops captured 47 insurgents during Operation Ar Bead. The operation was planned and executed by Iraqi troops, who have tamed the once restless city: “The district police chief – this was his idea,” said Lt. Col. Race Roberson, the RCT-5 police implementation officer. “It was (an Iraqi Security Forces) operation; they were the owners of it.” ”The police are a strong force, and they will go anywhere at anytime in the city of Fallujah,” Roberson said. The Iraqi army has begun a major operation in Baghdad. Thirty terrorists were reported killed on the first day, including five from Sudan. The 2nd Division of the Iraq army is now operating independently of Coalition forces. In Qasaiba, soldiers of the 5th Iraqi Army Division captured the leader of an insurgent cell operating in the area: The insurgent cell leader is suspected of limiting the travel of Iraqi civilians in the area through intimidation and violent criminal activities. It is also believed the cell leader coordinates and conducts kidnapping, torture and murders of Iraqi civilians and security forces in the area. On January 10, Iraqi soldiers rescued a kidnapping victim: Working on a tip, Iraqi troops from the 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division (Mechanized) searched for the kidnapping victim’s vehicle. They discovered it on a farm. Upon conducting a cordon and search of the farm, the soldiers found the kidnapped Iraqi in a farmhouse unharmed, with his hands tied. Iraqi Special Security Forces captured two leaders of an insurgent cell during an operation in Al Doura. The cell is responsible for car bombings against civilians in Sadr City and IED attacks against Iraqi security forces. In Tal Afar, Iraqi police killed four insurgents after they came under attack while on patrol. A later search of the area found a weapons cache consisting of 12 RPGs and two mortar shells. Iraqi army special forces captured 19 during an operation targeting the leader of an insurgent cell responsible for attacks against Iraqi civilians and Coalition forces. During two operations in Fallujah, Iraqi soldiers captured six members of al Qaeda. The men are suspected of involvement with IED attacks against Coalition troops and weapons trafficking. Iraqi security forces joined Marines and U.S. soldiers in conducting a successful operation to clean up Ramadi: Iraqi Army, police and Coalition forces seized hundreds of weapons and explosives during the operation, including three mortar systems, 101 mortar rounds, 90 pounds of explosives, eight rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 47 AK-47s, five Dragonov sniper rifles, 26 grenades, 26 mines, 34 artillery rounds, 12 rockets and other items used to attack Ramadi’s security forces and civilians. During the operation 44 enemy combatants were killed and 172 suspected insurgents were detained. The Iraqi army captured a high-level insurgent leader during a raid in Hajjan: The suspect is allegedly an experienced IED builder and an illegal armed group member. He was believed to be training other illegal armed group members how to construct and employ IEDs. Prime Minister al-Maliki has finally been convinced to drop his protection of the Mahdi army. The move came after U.S. officials convinced al-Maliki that the militia was infiltrated by Shiite death squads. In related news, Sadr’s political block is ending its two month boycott of parliament. Two tips led Iraqi national police to a kidnapping victim and a sizeable weapons cache in Baghdad: “This raid was planned and executed entirely by the Iraqi national police,” said Maj. Blaine Wales, the team chief for the 1st Battalion, 7th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi National Police Transition Team. The weapons cache consisted of 31 mortar and artillery rounds, 12 rolls of detonation cord, one can of ball bearings, three blocks of C4 explosive, 100 blasting caps and fuses, two completed improvised explosive devices, multiple batteries of all types, four handheld radios, nine cellular phones and seven completed electronic circuit boards similar to those found in roadside bombs. In eastern Baghdad, an Iraqi patrol found an IED before it could be detonated. In Baghdad, an Iraqi army patrol successfully fought its way out of an ambush: While conducting a routine patrol in Baghdad’s Fahhama neighborhood, an element of the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army was ambushed by a group of insurgents armed with pistols and AK-47s. The patrol immediately returned fire on the men attacking them. Two insurgents were killed and four others wounded in the fire fight. Tips from citizens led Iraqi police to two large weapons caches: The first cache included fifteen 9mm TNT rounds, a dozen 90mm Composition A3 rounds, five 155mm High Explosive rounds, four artillery fuses, six 20mm rockets, and nine RPG rounds among other items. The second cache included two 105mm rounds rigged as improvised explosive devices. Iraqi Police captured the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq’s cell in Samarra during an operation on January 18. Iraqi forces captured two high-level insurgent commanders in separate raids: Special Iraqi army forces, with coalition advisors, captured a high-level terrorist leader today during operations in eastern Baghdad, military officials said. The suspect is allegedly affiliated with Abu Dura and other Baghdad death squad commanders, and is responsible for assassinating numerous Iraqi security forces members and government officials. Military officials said he has also organized kidnappings, torture and murder of Iraqi civilians. During operations in Samarra yesterday, Iraqi police forces with coalition advisors captured the suspected leader of several al Qaeda in Iraq terror cells. The suspect is responsible for directing several IED and small arms attacks against Iraqi security forces, coalition forces and Iraqi civilians. During the operation, combined forces captured an additional insurgent and confiscated IED components, assault rifles and ammunition. In Morocco, security forces have disrupted a cell responsible for recruiting terrorists to fight in Iraq: Moroccan security forces have dismantled a radical cell recruiting volunteers to fight in Iraq and arrested 26 people, the government said on Thursday. In Tal Afar, Iraq forces discovered a tunnel leading below a house where they found a weapons cache consisting of 200 pounds of explosives, more than 125 rockets, and 2,500 rounds of ammunition. Over at the Department of Defense website, a map of Iraq shows the progress made by Iraq’s army over the last year. “Green areas” indicate areas under control of Iraqi forces. The “green areas” increase significantly as the year progresses. Check it out. Security Operations Raids across Iraq targeting al Qaeda resulted in the capture of 25 suspected terrorists. Nine terrorists were killed in a series of raids in Baghdad over the weekend: Nine terrorists, including an al-Qaeda leader, were killed during raids conducted by coalition forces in Baghdad today and yesterday. Also, one terrorist was wounded, and three were detained during the raids. A known al-Qaeda weapons dealer was among those killed during today's Baghdad raid, according to officials. Another terrorist was wounded in the action, while two more were detained. The wounded terrorist was provided first aid and transported to a nearby medical facility. Coalition forces had targeted the weapons dealer, whose body was identified by his wife. In other news, coalition troops killed six terrorists and detained one suspect during a fierce morning firefight in Baghdad yesterday, officials reported. Intelligence reports indicated the targeted location was used as a possible al Qaeda in Iraq safe house for terrorists to conduct operational planning. Another 90 al Qaeda terrorists were killed by American and Iraqi forces during a ten-day operation near Baghdad. A patrol consisting of troops from the 1st Cavalry Division uncovered seven weapons caches in the village of Arab Salman Salman: …uncovered the caches, which included 51 rocket-propelled grenade rounds; 11 RPG launchers; two assault rifles with 13,000 rounds of ammunition; six 57mm rockets; eight plastic explosives; two 120mm artillery shells; two 137mm missiles; 225 pounds of explosives; and other IED-making materials. Iraqi and Coalition troops discovered a weapons cache in Yusufiyah consisting of materials used in the manufacture of IEDs: The cache, which contained a variety of improvised explosive device making items and weapons included six 120mm mortar rounds, a directional charge, five rocket propelled grenade launchers, seven RPG charges, nine RPG rockets, 150 small metal cylinders filled with plastic explosives, 1000 7.62mm rounds, 200 ft. of detonation cord, seven hand grenade fuses, five hand grenade shells, five long-range antennae, 22 transformers, four cordless phones, two cordless phone base stations, two cell phones, 12 cell phone cases with assorted parts and 12 60mm mortar round casings. Twenty-eight suspected terrorists were captured during raids across Iraq which targeted the safe houses of foreign terrorists. Over the past month, paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne have found more than 500 artillery rounds that could have been used to make IEDs or VBEIDs. Reconstruction & Economy If it were any other country, the reconstruction of Iraq would be a huge story. As of December 31, 2006, there are 658 projects underway at a cost of $2.67 billion, 3,026 projects have been completed at a cost of $7.11 billion, and 94 more projects are planned. A $43 million upgrade to the Al Basrah oil terminal is expected to be completed by April. The upgrade includes an emergency shutdown system, control valves, metering system, and fire protection. The upgraded terminal will meet all international safety and metering standards. Twenty hospitals throughout Iraq are currently undergoing $103 million in renovations. A small water project was completed in Dahuk Province. The new water storage tank and pipeline serves more than 1,000 residents of Dahuk. An $8.6 million renovation to the Samawah Railroad Maintenance Center has been completed. The Samawah site is one of two railway maintenance centers in Iraq, and employs more than 250 Iraqis. Iraq’s power grid is now being monitored by a central control system, called SCADA: “The main function of SCADA is to create and maintain a digital connection in order to check the provinces’ power loads and control them easily by connecting them to the central power distribution points,” Perry said. The SCADA system includes input and output signal hardware, controller networks, and communications software. There are 47 primary health-care centers under construction in northern Iraq. The first completed center recently opened in Salah Al Den Province: More than 112,000 people in the Salah Al Den Province are receiving healthcare from the first completed Primary Healthcare Center (PHC) in the north. Built by local construction companies with quality assurance managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, this $3.35 million dollar facility provides routine and initial emergency care to patients including X-ray, laboratories and dentistry. Medical supplies and laboratory equipment were included in the contract to make this facility complete and operational. On January 15, three new schools were opened in Mushahidah: an elementary school for girls, a secondary school for girls, and an elementary school for boys: “This is a great example for the projects in this area,” said Shiek Naif Moutlak, the chief of the city council. “We thank the coalition for all they have done and hope for other projects in the area to help the people.” The Pentagon is helping fight unemployment in Iraq by reopening factories that were once owned by Saddam Hussein: Under a new program, the U.S. Defense Department is already helping reopen factories that were owned by Saddam Hussein's government and abandoned by occupation authorities shortly after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. The Pentagon may also start providing them with contracts to support U.S. troops. One factory restarted operations in the past two weeks, and nine more are to open by the end of this month, adding some 11,000 Iraqis to employment rolls, a Pentagon official said Wednesday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the information had not been released yet. The president’s speech this week put Iran on notice that the U.S. was going to work to prevent its interference in Iraq. Iraqi forces took the first step in confronting Iran when they raided Iran’s diplomatic mission in Irbil: Iraqi officials said today that multinational forces detained as many as six Iranians in an overnight raid on Tehran's diplomatic mission in the northern city of Irbil just hours after President Bush gave details about his new military plan for Iraq. The forces stormed the Iranian mission at about 3 a.m., detaining the five staffers and confiscating computers and documents, two senior local Kurdish officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information. Irbil is a city in the Kurdish-controlled north, 220 miles from Baghdad. Japan is preparing to loan Iraq $3.5 billion for reconstruction. In the city of Al Qosh, Medics from the 1st Cavalry Division treated more than 80 people during a humanitarian mission to the city: During the mission, one female physician’s assistant and one female pediatrician medically examined over 80 people; 65 percent children, and 35 percent women. Three dozen soccer balls were distributed to the children of the town, courtesy of a donation from a radio station in the United States, as well as clothing, toys, shoes, and school supplies.

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Writer's please rate my story, please note it's very long. So if you dont have time to read please star. PLEASE DON'T JUST SAY YOU LIKE IT, PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU LIKED ABOUT IT AND HOW YOU THINK I SHOULD IMPROVE. iF YOU ALL LIKE IT PLEASE STAR IT.