Umbilical Cord Blood Bank

Can cord blood transplant be used for cousins? I had my 5 month old's cord blood banked at birth and just found out that my son's third cousin (age 3) was diagnosed with juvinelle leukemia. Does anyone know the possibilty of my son's cord blood being a possible transplant donor?

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?

Can a mother use cord blood from own baby? My wife is diagnosed with aplastic anemia. She is 7 months pregnant. Can she use the baby's cord stem cell blood in a transplant if needed?

Blood tests and cord blood recipients If a person is a recipient of a cord blood transplant when they had cancer, and now this person is both cancer free and medication free; is there anything that would show up in law enforcement blood tests that would indicate that they were a cord blood recipient?

Has any mothers on here done cord blood banking for their child? I've heard of life saving miracles of people having this blood for their child in case the child were to need a blood transplant or have leukemia. So i've really thought about doing this. But i heard you have to pay yearly for it to be in a blood bank. How much do you have to pay yearly or do you know someone who has done it. Let me know any stories you have. Darn that really sucks thats really expensive, i'm really bummed because i would never be able to afford that!

"How do doctors decide when to use cord blood for a transplant?

Is it possible for someone who has ALL leukemia with B- blood type to receive a bone marrow transplant? I have a dear friend with All Leukemia who has the blood type B- I am wondering if its possible for her to receive a bone marrow or cord blood transplant from some one with o- Blood type

Learn about Cord blood advances from BMT Infonet? Learn About Cord Blood from BMT Infonet Webcast http://www.bmtinfonet.org/webcastcord/ The BMT Infonet website (A support site for stem cell (bone marrow) transplant patients) is doing a webcast on 9/10/08 about the advances of cord blood in stem cell transplant. It looks to be fairly interesting, and it talks about the way I did my transplant, with 2 units of cord blood. If you are at all interested, sign up!

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?

Why are immune cells extracted from umbilical cord blood better for transplantation ? Why are immune cells extracted from umbilical cord blood better for transplantation than those in child or adult bone marrow? a.They are denser and thus easier to transplant b.They are less likely to cause cancer c.They can develop into more types of cells d.They are less likely to cause graft-versus-host disease

Islet transplant/stem cells in umbilical cord blood? I have a 7 year old son who has type 1. I found out yesterday that I am pregnant. My sons endo told me today that one of the problems with the islet transplant was that some of the recipiants bodies would reject the islet because they were from strangers. Does anyone have any good info about this? Would it be possible to use the cord blood?

Your Medical Opinion on Cord Blood? I had a dual cord blood stem cell transplant last year for leukemia. I have a couple of questions about cord blood that I am interested in (this is not really in relation to my medical case) 1. If a person has the transplant using their own cord blood, is that still considered an auto transplant? Obviously I didnt have my own cord blood, but I almost did an auto peripheral blood stem cell transplant instead. I was given the opinion that ultimatly it would only be a time lengthening proceedure and that chances were high the leukemia would come back. Maybe that was specific to my case (aml, m1, 2nd diagnosis), but would that still be the same if you were to use your own cord blood? 2. Should you be allowed to privatly bank and/or sell cord blood? Everyone I talk to is for private banking, and a lot of people seem to be for selling cord blood. Both of my units came from the public bank. If I had had to have paid for it, buy it from someone else, I would never have gotten it. I wouldnt have the money to bank cord blood if I were to have a child. Because of my experience, I view cord blood as an organ. Organs cant be bought or sold, and I am not sure cord blood should be either (or privatly banked) for the same reason. Its no longer a fair game based on medical need. Its all about who can the most for it. What do you think?

Learn About Cord Blood from BMT Infonet Webcast? http://www.bmtinfonet.org/webcastcord/ The BMT Infonet website is doing a webcast on 9/10/08 about the advances of cord blood in stem cell transplant. It looks to be fairly interesting, and it talks about the way I did my transplant, with 2 units of cord blood. If you are at all interested, sign up! Your article is correct. It isnt as easy as it should be. And I would site the primary reason because there isnt more of a demand for public donation. This is why I posted this link, so that people can educate themselves and then create the demand. I used cord blood for my stem cell transplant to treat leukemia. Luckily, in my current state of NC, that was no big deal. I had the transplant done at a neighboring city hospital, all was cool. My cousin wanted to donate her baby's cord blood, but didnt arrange ahead of time and the only hospital in our county that delivers, does not accept the cord blood. My home state of WV currently has NO delivery hospitals set up to accept donation. I have written letters to the editor about it numerous times, but to no avail. And the other issues it mentions are right on about being confused with embryonic stem cells. I routinely run into people I tell about my transplant who think I killed a baby to fight my cancer and that I should go to hell. And a lot of people dont understand that public donation is available underneath all the ads for the private banks.

whats your idea about saving cord blood after labor? i heard its useful for cancer and transplant any suggestion?

Can you change someone's genotype or is there genotype the same forever? For example..will someone's genotype change if you do gene therapy on them, like say getting a cord blood transplant?

Can My babies cord blood help? My friend was diagnosed with luekemia two years ago the first time he went into remmision and done good for almost a year well it is back again (Damn that cancer) and they told him that if he didn't get a bone marrow transplant he won't live well I am due any day now with my second child and I want to know how long I have to wait to see if I can be his donar and if it is too long then I was wondering willbanking my babies cord blood help any?

cord blood banking? my best friend passed away a few months ago from a rare cancer. Long story short his mother had a baby about 3 years ago and saved her cord blood and when he had his stem cell transplant they used that,well my question is what are the odds of this happening and should i envest the money into saving my baby's cord blood?

Regarding saving my baby's cord blood? I am 37 weeks pregnant. I have recently developed a thyroid nodule which is suspicious for cancer.I am going to have a total thyroidectomy.Both my glands are going to be removed.I have to be on hormonal therapy for the rest of my life without my thyroid glands. Today the nurse at my OBG spoke about saving my baby's cord blood. Can stem cells be developed into thyroid glands? Has anyone heard of thyroid gland transplant?

Donate Cord Blood deal? Has anyone ever donated this? Are there any bad effects I like to know information of someone who has done this! blood remaining in the umbilical cord and placenta is rich with blood-forming cells. These healthy blood-forming cells can be collected and stored so they can be used by a patient who needs a transplant!!

what do you think about saving cord blood ? i heard its useful for saving it for private use and it protect from alot of disease or in transplant for sibling..........any suggustion

Could he use my cord blood? Hi. It seems like since the day I knew I was pregnant, I've been hearing about cord blood banking. It certainly sounds like a great idea, expensive but ultimately a good invenstment. I never really thought about this aspect of it until today when I was trying to nap: My dad has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He has had it for 14 years, done almost every treatment available including a bone marrow transplant via his sister. I've never been tested to see if I was a match because I was underage when he got the transplant and he didn't want me tested. Could my baby's cord blood be used for him? Do they do anything like that? I know embryonic cells can do a lot of amazing things, but I don't know much about the cord blood thing. If you know anything related to this, I'd greatly appreciate some info. Most the cord blood sites I've been to just seem like really vague advertisements for their specific programs. Edited to add: He is not in remission right now. He got 8 years out of the transplant, but now he is doing chemo to get the tumors small enough that he can do a lymphocyte transfusion (also from my aunt).

Cord Blood used as a possible kidney failure treatment? Has anyone ever heard of cord blood used as a possible treatment to kidney failure. I've searched the web and have gathered a lot of information on what they have been doing in pushing the envelope on kidney failure treatments. I know they are also working with whipping out a persons marrow and replacing it with the donors marrow to offset rejection. Also, I've seen on the news how the U of Minnesota has recently found a way to erase dna in an organ and replacing it with ones own Dna to trick the immune system into thinking that its their own organ. I'm really interested in what others have to say because I'm currently rejecting my 3rd kidney transplant. I'm only 22 yrs old and will try everything to fight what I have now to make a comeback for my family and my new born son. Funny thing is we were going to safe his cord blood from when he was born but we didn't have any money and my kidney was working perfectly. Well any comments would be greatly appreciated! Ray

Does blood type matter for using stem cells from cord blood? My 9 year-old niece has Spina Bifida, and we just found out that her bladder is not functioning, and in fact is leaking. She needs her back operated on to straighten it out, which would help her bladder, but would stunt her growth. Right now, she is only the size of a 2 or 3 year old as it is. One of the other options, however, would be to use stem cells to repair her bladder. My brother and his wife are done having children, but they asked my husband and I if next time we have a child, we would be willing to bank our cord blood for my niece. Of course we would do this, but my SIL and I were wondering if blood type matters at all. My niece and I are not the same. (O- and A+) Or does it have to be a tissue match as well, like with a bone marrow transplant? Does anyone know? Thanks. David, I realize that. And that's why I asked, "does anyone know?". Clearly, Y!A is not the final word. I was just curious. Yeesh. A bit of compassion and knowledge, instead of the lippy response, would have been more appropriate and appreciated.

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/

Something all mothers should know... Hurler's Syndrome? Affecting one in 100,000 people, Hurler's syndrome is a rare genetic disorder where the enzyme (alpha-L-iduronidase), which normally breaks down the mucopolysaccharides dermatan and heparin sulphate, is missing. These mucopolysaccharides build up in all tissues in the body causing progressive deterioration and eventual death. The disease was first described in 1919 in Germany by Dr. Gertrud Hurler. Hurler's syndrome babies often develop normally during the first year, but as the storage material (mucopolysaccharides) start to build up, the symptoms begin to appear. Early symptoms include frequent colds and ear infections. Hurler's children will, without therapy, experience profound mental retardation, coarse facial features and excessive hair growth, vision problems (due to clouded cornea), and severe heart problems (as the coronary arteries narrow and the heart valves thicken). Other symptoms may include carpal tunnel syndrome, curvature of the spine, frequent runny nose, hernias, and hearing loss. Most patients die of heart failure between the ages of 5 and 10. Because Hurler's syndrome is genetic, it is difficult to cure. Current approaches to Hurler's syndrome include genetic counseling for parents who are carriers of the disease, and improvements in early detection of the disease in unborn children (Hurler's can be detected with amniocentesis early in the second trimester). For Hurler's syndrome patients, a variety of treatments have been tried. The goal of treatment is to get the missing enzyme into the body. While the enzyme is now FDA-approved and available, studies have shown this doesn’t move into the brain well enough to prevent the neurologic aspects of the disease. To introduce alpha-L-iduronidase into the body, both gene therapy and blood, marrow or cord blood transplants are being explored. In gene therapy, researchers use a virus to place the gene that produces alpha-L-iduronindase into the patient’s cells. Transplants are performed to provide cells producing enzyme through the growth of normal, healthy blood cells. These blood cells appear to provide enzyme to other cells of the brain, preserving neurologic function. However, the enzyme does not appear to penetrate into the brain. Following successful transplant, patients do not suffer cardiac deterioration, and the accumulated mucopolysaccharides in the liver, lungs, and marrow slowly disappear. Vision and hearing generally improve post transplant, as well. Though the mental retardation does not progress, the patient’s IQ will typically stabilize. Thus the most successful transplants are those that are performed as soon as possible after diagnosis. Transplants performed after age 2 have disappointment results, because a BMT cannot repair the considerable amount of damage already done. Because older patients and those with prior lung problems do particularly poorly with transplant, the use of enzyme therapy prior to transplantation may be advantageous. The University of Minnesota has pioneered a study to test the use of enzyme prior to transplant, which is currently enrolling patients.

Please is this good or bad, my son wrote it.? Your Open QuestionShow me another » I also put the post i cancer The Truth The truth, i hate it it hurts to see my mum not doing all she did before. To see mum keep going and help me make a dog house for my dog makes me proud. The truth i already know what cancer can do my brother jacob is now in heaven, the knowing, my mum wont stop fighting because of me, thats love. Oh and she broke her rib taking me ice skating and her toe kicking my ball. He wrote this to young carers comp he won $50.00 BUT he never told me about it. I had no idea. Do i ask him about it? how much is this hurting him? Young Carer 11yrs 32 minutes ago - 4 days left to answer. Additional Details I didn't think he could see , my mistake. When he was born he did the blood cord transplant for his brother. i love him. hug, kiss and enjoy him. i do try and hide thinks but as we can see kids know 16 minutes ago

Stem Cells? Most of you know I am all up on the stem cell thing and that I am a stem cell transplant. Ok, on another board, I ran into this guy who was desperate to help his kid who has an auto immune disease. He was wanting to know about a specific company in China offering stem cell therapy. Given that stem cell transplants are ni trials for a lot of auto immune diseases, I was curious and looked into it further. This company is touting a ton of misinformation about stem cell transplant and cord blood. The guy forwarded some information from the company to me. I am only about 10 pages into a 50 page packet, but they are comparing themselves every way to a bone marrow transplant, but saying that by using cord blood there is no chance of rejection, that they dont have to kill the exisiting marrow, they dont have to worry about rejection because cord blood cant reject. I am floored by this misinformation this person is getting. Is this just money scam? I am even more floored.. I think its a money scam. Seriously. The packet the guy got is supposedly from someone claiming to be a doc from the US in Chine to give her child stem cell treatment. She is advertising to yahoo groups to get other people to join her group to get information to go to China to have this treatment done. The person who emailed this guy the packet has an email at hotmail http://www.beikebiotech.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 That is the site... THe packet goes on to talk about autologous stem cell transplant and a few other things. Its completly bogus, but I cant figure out if this is just a money scam or if they are really getting people to go to China for this. I shouldnt be surprised either way, but... I am angered that people in are spreading this kind of misinformation http://www.beikebiotech.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 That is the site... THe packet goes on to talk about autologous stem cell transplant and a few other things. Its completly bogus, but I cant figure out if this is just a money scam or if they are really getting people to go to China for this. I shouldnt be surprised either way, but... I am angered that people in are spreading this kind of misinformation

Family member pregnant and diagnosed with Luekemia (AML)? She is only 27 and tomorrow they are going to abort the baby. She is at OHSU in Portland Oregon, on their Knight Cancer Institute website they state that they are the only hospital in Oregon that "Performs bone marrow transplants with family, unrelated donor or cord blood". Why would they tell her husband that they don't do stem cell transplantation? Why can't they use the embilical cord blood from the fetus that they are going to abort anyways? Would it have anything to do with her being on OHP? I don't understand.

My Friend has Luekemia I want to help but how? My friend was diagnosed with luekemia two years ago the first time he went into remmision and done good for almost a year well it is back again (Damn that cancer) and they told him that if he didn't get a bone marrow transplant he won't live well I am due any day now with my second child and I want to know how long I have to wait to see if I can be his donar and if it is too long then I was wondering willbanking my babies cord blood help any?

My grandma has leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant? We just found out that she needs this last night, and I'm not sure on all details yet. But I went and did some research on bone marrow transplants, and I came across that cord blood could be used. I'm due in just under 6 weeks and was wondering what might the chances be that my child's cord blood could help her, if any other family member couldn't? I read that with cord blood it doesn't need to be a perfect match I just got another update, apparently her body is too weak for a transplant. Her own immune system is attacking her blood. They are giving her 3 pints of blood to boost her hemoglobin count. We are pray that her body will accept the foreign blood. Thx for all your replies though

has anybody ever donated their cordblood? i know how important donating blood is so when i read online that if you dont bank your cord blood for your children then the hospitals just throw is away as "waste" they dont ask questions that is just their "default"...well my hospital lets you donate it if you tell them you want to. and i was thinking "why not, im not gonna use it, i could save someone's life and someday i might need a transplant or something like that" well i told i few people that i was gonna donate it and i thought people would be like "good for you" or "good idea" but most people were like "why would you do that?" i was dumbfound with the negative responses i got!!!!! has anyone donated their cord blood. and has anyone ever gotten weird replies from people like i have?

Ramadan - I need help with my biology homework? =( Please help me...I said please! Suggest two advantages (other than an increased probability of survival), of using umbilical cord blood stem cells instead of bone marrow stem cells in transplant procedures. Ugh I dont even know what that means!! Thanks =D

Can any one throw light on various nomenclature on stem cells? I am looking forward to stem cell based remedy for my sisters son suffering from Cerebral Palsy. The term Stem Cell some one call as "Autologous or self" some say Umbilical cord blood" and some say about the Embryo-stem cell. Which is best. The NCRM team in Chennai have done something phenomenal in spinal injury patient which they say "autologous", but www.emcell.com claims treatment using embryo stem cell...I also read about a stem cell transplant centre in Chennai and some work in AIIMS Delhi, India. One more news I read was about stem cells from nose (Olfactory stem cell) by a chinese scientist....I would like to have lots of explanations from you all... thanks in advance.

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.

are You SMART!!!??If so ANsWER? Question that im stuck on!!! Suggest two advantages (other than increased probability of survival), of using umbilical cord blood stem cells instead of bone marrow stem cells in transplant procedures Its kinda confusing but I would be extremely grateful if you could provide me with a relevant answer No pressure lol thank you in advance Thank you thank you, thank you very much, now i will read them

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.

Urgent.....hopefully someone knows something about this? I have a second cousin that currently is terminal with leukemia and if a bone marrow transplant donor match cannot be found soon he will die. So far no one in our family has been a match however I was told that my baby's cord blood might be able to save his life. I am currently 34 weeks preggo and I am wondering if anyone knows anything about this or the cord blood registry, cost etc..? Of course time is of the essence since I am only 6 weeks from my due date. I would appreciate any info anyone may have about this. I don't really know to much regarding this subject. Thanks!

My Brother has Leukemia? and he did not go to Remission? he did not go to remission after first chemo, only 5 days after chemo his leukocytes increased to 2800 and cancerous cells are 80 % they started chemo again Yesterday! what is the next step? will he die really soon? Also they said we can not send him for Bone marrow transplant until we dont reach remission but what happens how many time they try to reach one? what happens if we dont? also someone mentioned about cord blood, I am giving birth in Mid July and how can my Babies cord blood help him? will there be something left to keep in case my Baby need it? (God forbid!) please answer me all this Questions thank you so much my Brother has AML and he is 24

Lebanon!how to react to such comment? i have a friend who knows my family situation really well.on the weekend i met with her and a friend of hers.As she was introducing me to her she mentioned the number of kids i have(1 boy 2 girls) and was explaining to her friend my son's medical situation. (just so you would understand,my son's medical condition is serious and at one point,the doctors considered bone marrow transplant.i was tested during my last pregnancy and we discovered that my little daughter was a match for him when we were not.So the cord blood was collected and it is still stored in the hospital for the future). So her comment was:i always wanted one boy and one girl but i only had the last one to save the life of the boy!!!! and that is why i always call her "my angel"!!!! i was stunned and could not reply directly to the comment but did mentioned that when the boy was considered for bone marrow transplant i was already 7 weeks pregnant. i felt really hurt by her comment and i want to tell her but i just can not find the right words.HELP...

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

Pronoun antecedent questions? What's wrong with these sentences? Many of the pronouns involve "it", which I assume is wrong. - A better understanding about diseases and how they work would make it possible to test millions of drugs more accurately. - (the previous sentence being plural) It also results in a lower genetic diversity. - However, the stem cells in umbilical cords and embryonic cells can create any of over 200 types of tissue. They offer a popular alternative in blood marrow transplants. - Supporting stem cell research will make it possible for scientists to discover ways to cure many devastating diseases. With all the knowledge gained from stem cell research, it would bring new technological advances in the field. - Because of this, stem cells will have very high expectations in the medical field if it gets legalized. Thanks!

How do you feel about the concept of "creating saviour siblings" ? i have mixed feelings...as much as i believe that everything should be done to save a child, i can't help wonder about those embryos that were not a match for their brother Conor & were hence not selected. London, August 10 (ANI): Meet Britain's only 'saviour sibling' twins who have been created to be donors for their sick older brother. Amy and Anthony Maguire, both two years old, were born after IVF treatment was used to select embryos which are a match for their brother Connor, so that blood taken from their umbilical cord at birth might one day be used to offer him life-saving treatment. According to reports, Connor was two years old when his parents noticed normal rough and tumble caused him serious bruising.It was found that he was suffering from aplastic anaemia, a condition where the immune system destroys parts of the bone marrow which produce blood cells and affects just three in every one million people.Since the child required repeated doses of powerful drugs to suppress his immune system, he had to stay in isolation in hospital and required large amounts of medication, including blood transfusions. A bone marrow transplant is the only long-term cure for the disease, but despite a worldwide search the family could not find a match for the kid. Finally, Connor's consultant, Dr. Sarah Ball, at St George's Hospital in south west London, suggested that the couple should consider creating a so-called saviour sibling because they were intending to have more children. Despite the fact that the practice of creating saviour siblings has proved controversial, the children's father Laurence Maguire has no doubts that it is justified."Once you see your children, any notion that they are spare parts is gone. We wouldn't change anything, they are our children and we love them all," the Telegraph quoted the 42-year-old as saying. "I never ever think that we didn't have the twins for the right reason," he added. He further said that they did not have the treatment in order to create 'spare parts children'."We always intended to have more children, we both come from large families. It wasn't really a choice at all, because you will do anything for your child," he said. Since the twins were born almost two years ago, Connor's condition has stabilised a little and he has recently stopped his immunosuppression drugs.However, there is always the risk that his condition will deteriorate again.Maguire said: "God forbid that anything happens to Connor but if it does we are in a much better situation than we were before." (ANI) http://in.news.yahoo.com/139/20090810/959/tod-meet-uk-s-only-saviour-twins-created.html Edit: i reported just one of your Qs & i told i did & i'm pretty certain you deleted it yourself...because you were ashamed of yourself..don't be afraid to admit..

New Procedure Idea... I think? i was thinking about abortion and adoption. I thought it would be a good idea to kind of collide the two together. Here's an example. A 12 year old girl gets pregnant.... oops, ok, now what? "ABORTION!" cry the parents. But what about the baby? That "fetus" is LIVING, from the point of conception, so in my point of view, abortion IS murder. Anyway, what if that 12 yr old girl could go to an agency who finds people who can't conceive a child together and otherwise would be looking in to adoption. The agency finds a suitable couple who are interested. They meet, plan, blah blah blah, and at a point in the girl's pregnancy when it would be medically possible they do a transplant of the fetus itself... they take the whole amniotic sack, and transplant it to the woman, I guess using stem cells to grow the umbilical cord to her. She would basically be "adopting" the baby before it's born. And that woman takes over the pregnancy, birth, and mothering of the baby. That way the 12 yr old girl won't have to miss school, or any of her life over this baby, and she won't get attached emotionally, that's something that makes adoption hard on birthmother's sometimes. Anyway does anyone think this is medically / scientifically probable. I figure there would have to be some kind of device made, like a tiny respirator, to keep the baby alive during the operation, and the adopting mother would probably have to be the same blood type as the birthmother, and there would always be the chance her body could regect the fetus, like how sometimes our bodies regect organs after organ transplants. Soooooo..... what do YOU think?

The Rainbow Bridge short story help? Rough rough first brainstorm draft. Any comments or direction? Any help is welcome. Bliss? Your turn ;) Rainbow Bridge by Ashlyn Valentino Charlie flew through the front door of the townhouse calling grammy’s name, he took a great picture with his digital camera of this blue bird attacking the neighbor’s cat on his digital camera. Bam! The front door slams against the wooden bumper on the wall as he cavorts down the front hallway. “GRAMMY!!!! Heeyyy Grammyyy!” he blares. Maybe she’s out back in the garden? Jogging through the kitchen Charlie notices the back door is open and squints outside as he skips through the doorway KABLAM…. The screen door, or what is left of it, buckles and pops out of the track as the screen rips out of the frame. “Ooh Charlliieee! Are you ok??” Grammy frantically projects from the back of the yard. Charlie’s straightens his cockeyed coke bottle glasses and rubs his head, but feels lucky he held onto the camera by the wrist cord. His eyesight hasn’t been what it used to be. In 6th grade Charlie was diagnosed with acute stigmatism and the doctors said he will probably be 80% blind by the time he graduated high school in about 4 years. The only real hope is if somehow gets eye transplants. But with grammy’s social security a sole source of income, and limited healthcare, he would have to make do with really thick glasses. For now he spent his summer months taking pictures and playing in the giant oak tree in the empty lot across the street. Which just so happened to be there even back when grandpa was growing up in this neighborhood. And just before he died, he build a treehouse for Charlie in that tree. It was so high up he could see out across the neighborhood over the rooftops! Especially if he climbed up on the roof of the treehouse and climbed out on this one branch that arched upward, grandpa used to say it was the arch of the rainbow. A rainbow bridge to the heavens. It’s been 2 years since grandpa passed away. Last summer Charlie built a special platform at the peak of the arch in honor of his grandpa. Charlie held his head in a stunned dramatic pose as grammy gave him the once over looking for blood. “Anything broken?” “Ouch, just my ego” “Well come on inside and show me your pictures while I make you some lunch” Mom was in a car accident and died a year before grandpa. Her and her boyfriend were killed New Years Day. I never knew my dad. Mom said he was a freebird and moved out to California. Or was that free … loader… I can’t remember. Either way, I don’t remember him. After lunch grammy told me to go up to the attic and get bring down the big fan since she heard that morning on the Today Show that there was going to be a heat wave hitting the Charlotte area near where they lived. So I wandered up to the second floor hallway and grabbed the rope hanging down from the ceiling. Down came the steps leading up to the attic. And up I went, clicked on the lightbulb cord and felt the heavy stuffy humid air suffocate my lungs. Found a crate, opened it up, oh there’s a cape, let’s try it on, pretty cool, must have been grandpa’s. Let’s try it on shall we? Charlie buttoned it around his neck and immediately felt like a super hero skipping down the stairs with the fan, into the kitchen, oh my gosh he noticed he can see! OK, where to go from here. I started, now some ideas. the asterisks above in the first few lines is not a bad word, it's "kok-eyed". I can't spell it the way it's supposed to. I'd love to expand and embelish, I went fast towards the end because I got tired of writing :) hehe I'm much better at editing and embellishing rather than writing a plot from scratch. thanks agilebrit for all the good info! Yeah, I know it's a mess, I just literally threw it together to break the ice. It's really quick and dirty, and the last part is just me rambling to get some ideas thrown on paper (let's put it on shall we, etc.). I like the sound effects though, but I'll cut back on punctuation. And of course I haven't even begun to check POV or tense. But I'll keep it in mind :) SO, start in the attic... new title. Got that Bliss?? Work on it and post to comment ;) bliss, it's summer, he's in school, the doctors said when he graduates high school in 4 years he could be mostly blind.... in 6th grade he was diagnosed.... he's 14. And i didn't just throw this piece together silly, it's just a brainstorm, an splattering of words, not even a story yet. I just wanted some ideas on how to go forward....brainstorms as answers... now that he found the cape, now what? ps. aww Bliss! Feel better! Take care of yourself! Drink lots of fruit juice and eat soup. Stay hydrated!!

When do you consider Sammy to have ceased living? Substituted Sammy" was a normal healthy boy. There was nothing in his life that indicated that he was any different from anyone else. When he completed high school he obtained a job in a factory operating a press. On this job he had an accident and lost his hand. It was replaced with an artificial hand that looked and operated like a real one. Soon afterward, Sammy developed severe intestinal difficulty and a large portion of his lower small intestine had to be removed. It was replaced with an elastic silicon tube. Everything looked good for Sammy until he was involved in a serious car accident. His legs and good arm were crushed and had to be amputated. He also lost an ear in the accident. Artificial legs enabled Sammy to walk again and an artificial arm replaced the real arm. Plastic surgery and the use of silicon plastic enabled doctors to rebuild the ear. Over the next several years, Sammy was plagued with internal disorders. First, he had to have an operation to remove his aorta and replace it with a synthetic vessel. Next, his kidneys malfunctioned and the only way he could survive was to use a kidney dialysis machine. A kidney donor was sought but never found. Later, his digestive system became cancerous and was removed, which resulted in Sammy having to receive his nourishment intravenously. Finally, his heart failed. Luckily for Sammy a donor heart was available and transplanted into his body. It was now obvious that Sammy had become a medical phenomenon. All of his limbs were artificial. Nourishment was supplied through his veins; therefore, he had no solid wastes. All chemical wastes were removed by the kidney dialysis machine. The heart that pumped his blood, to carry oxygen and food to his cells, was not his original heart. Unfortunately, Sammy's transplanted heart began to fail. He was immediately placed on a heart-lung machine. This supplied oxygen and removed carbon dioxide from his blood as it circulated through his body. The doctors consulted bioengineers about Sammy. Since almost all of his life-sustaining functions were being carried on by machines, they thought it might be possible to compress all of these machines into one mobile unit which could be controlled by electrical impulses from his brain. This unit would be equipped with mechanical arms to enable him to do multiple tasks. A mechanism to create a flow of air over his vocal cords might enable him to speak. In order to do all this, they would have to amputate at Sammy's neck and attach his head to the machine, which would then supply all nutrients to his brain. Sammy consented, and the operation was successfully performed. Sammy functioned well for a few years. However, slow deterioration of his brain cells occurred and the bioengineers diagnosed him as terminal. So the medical/bioengineer team that developed around Sammy began to program his brain. A miniature computer was developed; it could be housed in a machine that was like a human head in appearance, movement, and mannerisms. As the computer was installed, Sammy's brain cells completely deteriorated. Sammy was once again able to leave the hospital with COMPLETE assurance that he would not return with any biological illness.

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

what are some good discussion questions on this CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC!!!!!? HealthbeatBorderline MedicineThursday, March 27, 2008 | 10:45 PM By Sylvia PerezEach year, 150,000 Americans cross the border for experimental therapy that is not offered in the U.S. "I remember seeing the ground come up and then my head hit the Ground," Greg Minow said. "I realized at that moment that I couldn't feel anything." At that moment, Minow was paralyzed. Doctors in the U.S. told him he'd never walk again. But giving up was not in this Army lieutenant's blood. "I had to find something to fight for. I had to find something to live for," he said. Story continues belowAdvertisement Searching the Web, Minow found the International Spinal Cord Regeneration Center in Tijuana. He raised $65,000 and literally rolled himself across the border for stem cell therapy -- therapy not offered in the States. Minow claims he's gained two inches of touch sensation in his abdomen and has deep pressure sensation in his hips and the top of his legs. But one of the leading stem cell researchers in the U.S. said he is skeptical. "So, while I understand the desperation, patients would be well advised to wait until they can really have Brand A and not just settle for Brand X," said Dr. Evan Snyder, Burnham Institute San Diego. But for little Lexi Smith, Brand X is her only option. The 9-year-old is full of energy. She loves to dance. But what one may not notice is that Lexi is blind. Her optic nerves aren't fully developed. "I want to see my mommy, and I want to see fireworks," Lexi said. And Lexi's mom said she hopes an experimental stem cell transplant in China will give her that opportunity. Some American doctors have doubts about the therapy planned for this little girl in China. "I think whoever you talk to in this country about the blindness treatments in China, I think that they would give it the thumbs down," said Albet Donnenberg. Ph.D., UPMC Cellular Therapy. Lexi's therapy is set for June. It will cost $50,000 to get her there and get the procedure -- an illegal treatment in the U.S. that her American doctors don't think is worth the risk. But for Lexi's mom, it's a risk worth taking. "Hope is a major thing. When you haven't had hope for almost nine years and you finally get it, you really go with it," said mom Heather Smith. Advocates for the stem cell treatment say the earlier Lexi has the treatment, the better the chance that it will work. (Copyright ©2008 WLS-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

biology homework help plzz ! after every is sammy alive we have to explain why or why not he's alive plz help? Sammy was a normal little boy. There was nothing in his life to indicate that he was anything different from anyone else. When he completed high school, he obtained a job in a factory, operating a machine press. On this job he had an accident and lost his hand. It was replaced with an artificial hand that looked and operated almost like a real one. Is Sammy Alive? Soon afterward Sammy developed a severe intestinal difficulty, and a large portion of his lower intestine had to be removed. It was replaced with an elastic silicon tube. Is Sammy Alive? Everything looked good for Sammy until he was involved in a car accident. Both of his legs and his good arm were crushed and had to be amputated. He also lost an ear. Artificial legs enabled Sammy to walk again, and an artificial arm replaced the real arm. Plastic surgery enabled doctors to rebuild the ear. Is Sammy Alive? Over the next several years, Sammy was plagued with internal disorders. First, he had to have an operation to remove his aorta and replace it with synthetic vessel. Next, he developed a kidney malfunction, and the only way he could survive was to use a kidney dialysis machine (no donor was available for a kidney transplant). Later, his digestive system became cancerous and was removed. He received nourishment intravenously. Finally, his heart failed. Luckily for Sammy, a donor heart was available, and he had a heart transplant. Is Sammy Alive? It was now obvious that Sammy had become a medical phenomenon. He had artificial limbs, nourishment was supplied to him through his veins; therefore he had no solid wastes. All waste material was removed by the kidney dialysis machine. The heart that pumped his blood to carry oxygen and food to his cells was not his original heart. But Sammy's tranplanted heart began to fail. He was immediately placed on a heart-lung machine. This supplied oxygen and removed carbon dioxide from his blood, and it circulated blood throughout his body. Is Sammy Alive? The doctors consulted bioengineers about Sammy. Because almost all of his life-sustaining functions were being carried on by machine, it might be possible to compress all of these machines into one mobile unit, which would be controlled by electrical impulses from Sammy's brain. This unit would be equipped with mechanical arms to enable him to perform manipulative tasks. A mechanism to create a flow of air over his vocal cords might enable him to speak. To do all of this, they would have to amputate at the neck and attach his head to the machine, which would then supply all the nutrients to his brain. Sammy consented, and the operation was successfully performed. Is Sammy Alive? Sammy functioned well for a few years. However, a slow deterioration of his brain cells was observed and was diagnosed as terminal. So the medical team that had developed around Sammy began to program his brain. A miniature computer was developed: it could be housed in a machine that was humanlike in appearance, movement, and mannerisms. As the computer was installed, Sammy's brain cells completely deteriorated. Sammy was once again able to leave the hospital with complete reassurance that he would not return with biological illness. Is Sammy Alive?

Science homework help? Points to the best answer!? We have to read a story about a boy named Sammy. Sammy dies somewhere throughout the story, but I'm not sure where, or how? Any help? Please don't get discouraged by it's big size. It's not that bad to read. It's mildly entertaining and somewhat disturbing.. Sammy was a normal little boy. There was nothing in his life to indicate that he was anything different from anyone else. When he completed high school, he obtained a job in a factory, operating a machine press. On this job he had an accident and lost his hand. It was replaced with an artificial hand that looked and operated almost like a real one. Is Sammy Alive? Soon afterward Sammy developed a severe intestinal difficulty, and a large portion of his lower intestine had to be removed. It was replaced with an elastic silicon tube. Is Sammy Alive? Everything looked good for Sammy until he was involved in a car accident. Both of his legs and his good arm were crushed and had to be amputated. He also lost an ear. Artificial legs enabled Sammy to walk again, and an artificial arm replaced the real arm. Plastic surgery enabled doctors to rebuild the ear. Is Sammy Alive? Over the next several years, Sammy was plagued with internal disorders. First, he had to have an operation to remove his aorta and replace it with synthetic vessel. Next, he developed a kidney malfunction, and the only way he could survive was to use a kidney dialysis machine (no donor was available for a kidney transplant). Later, his digestive system became cancerous and was removed. He received nourishment intravenously. Finally, his heart failed. Luckily for Sammy, a donor heart was available, and he had a heart transplant. Is Sammy Alive? It was now obvious that Sammy had become a medical phenomenon. He had artificial limbs, nourishment was supplied to him through his veins; therefore he had no solid wastes. All waste material was removed by the kidney dialysis machine. The heart that pumped his blood to carry oxygen and food to his cells was not his original heart. But Sammy's tranplanted heart began to fail. He was immediately placed on a heart-lung machine. This supplied oxygen and removed carbon dioxide from his blood, and it circulated blood throughout his body. Is Sammy Alive? The doctors consulted bioengineers about Sammy. Because almost all of his life-sustaining functions were being carried on by machine, it might be possible to compress all of these machines into one mobile unit, which would be controlled by electrical impulses from Sammy's brain. This unit would be equipped with mechanical arms to enable him to perform manipulative tasks. A mechanism to create a flow of air over his vocal cords might enable him to speak. To do all of this, they would have to amputate at the neck and attach his head to the machine, which would then supply all the nutrients to his brain. Sammy consented, and the operation was successfully performed. Is Sammy Alive? Sammy functioned well for a few years. However, a slow deterioration of his brain cells was observed and was diagnosed as terminal. So the medical team that had developed around Sammy began to program his brain. A miniature computer was developed: it could be housed in a machine that was humanlike in appearance, movement, and mannerisms. As the computer was installed, Sammy's brain cells completely deteriorated. Sammy was once again able to leave the hospital with complete reassurance that he would not return with biological illness. Is Sammy Alive?

What do U think advocates call Americans lazy fat how many illegals did this GI's heart saves family friend? WASHINGTON — Cpl. Benjamin Kopp gave his life. And then he saved one. An Army Ranger who had been on his third tour of duty, Kopp was buried Friday at Arlington National Cemetery. Sadly, it's a familiar story: a young man dead before his time, shot by enemies on the other side of the world. But this time, there was a renewed life too. Kopp wanted to be an organ donor. And after he died, his heart was transplanted into a family member's friend who had a rare form of congenital heart disease. "How can you have a better heart?" said a grateful Judy Meikle, 57, of Winnetka, Ill., who is still recovering from the surgery. "I have the heart of a 21-year-old Army Ranger war hero beating in me." Kopp's mother, Jill Stephenson, of Rosemount, Minn., said that in addition to her son's heart, doctors removed his kidneys, pancreas and liver for transplant. Kopp had served two tours of duty in Iraq when he left this spring for Afghanistan. On July 10, his unit attacked a Taliban haven in Helmand province, according to the 75th Ranger Regiment. The fight lasted several hours, resulting in the deaths of more than 10 Taliban fighters, but Kopp was shot in the leg. He was eventually transferred to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. "Initially, it was really comforting to have him be there" on U.S. soil, Stephenson said. "And then it was tough to see him in that condition. . . . He looked like a big, strong guy. But he was full of tubes and cords and wires." On July 18, Stephenson posted an online journal entry telling family and friends about Kopp's passing and said they would donate his organs. Maria Burud, Stephenson's first cousin in Chicago, had been following Kopp's condition on the website. What occurred next was happenstance. Burud and Meikle are friends who had worked together in the 1980s. Burud knew that Meikle needed a heart transplant, and Stephenson happened to see her cousin's message in time. Meikle knew it might not work out, that Kopp's heart might not be a match. "It's a million-to-one shot," she said. It had taken her seven months to get on the eligibility list because she needed to build up a tolerance for heparin, a drug used to prevent blood clots during heart surgery. But she got a call later that day from Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. In the early hours of July 20 — two days after Kopp died — Meikle had her transplant surgery at Northwestern. "Ben and Jill were so courageous that something good came out of something that was the worst thing that could happen to someone," Meikle said. "I'm just the luckiest woman alive."

are You SMART!!!??If so ANsWER? Question that im stuck on!!! Suggest two advantages (other than increased probability of survival), of using umbilical cord blood stem cells instead of bone marrow stem cells in transplant procedures Its kinda confusing but I would be extremely grateful if you could provide me with a relevant answer No pressure lol thank you in advance

what are some good discussion questions on this CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC!!!!!? HealthbeatBorderline MedicineThursday, March 27, 2008 | 10:45 PM By Sylvia PerezEach year, 150,000 Americans cross the border for experimental therapy that is not offered in the U.S. "I remember seeing the ground come up and then my head hit the Ground," Greg Minow said. "I realized at that moment that I couldn't feel anything." At that moment, Minow was paralyzed. Doctors in the U.S. told him he'd never walk again. But giving up was not in this Army lieutenant's blood. "I had to find something to fight for. I had to find something to live for," he said. Story continues belowAdvertisement Searching the Web, Minow found the International Spinal Cord Regeneration Center in Tijuana. He raised $65,000 and literally rolled himself across the border for stem cell therapy -- therapy not offered in the States. Minow claims he's gained two inches of touch sensation in his abdomen and has deep pressure sensation in his hips and the top of his legs. But one of the leading stem cell researchers in the U.S. said he is skeptical. "So, while I understand the desperation, patients would be well advised to wait until they can really have Brand A and not just settle for Brand X," said Dr. Evan Snyder, Burnham Institute San Diego. But for little Lexi Smith, Brand X is her only option. The 9-year-old is full of energy. She loves to dance. But what one may not notice is that Lexi is blind. Her optic nerves aren't fully developed. "I want to see my mommy, and I want to see fireworks," Lexi said. And Lexi's mom said she hopes an experimental stem cell transplant in China will give her that opportunity. Some American doctors have doubts about the therapy planned for this little girl in China. "I think whoever you talk to in this country about the blindness treatments in China, I think that they would give it the thumbs down," said Albet Donnenberg. Ph.D., UPMC Cellular Therapy. Lexi's therapy is set for June. It will cost $50,000 to get her there and get the procedure -- an illegal treatment in the U.S. that her American doctors don't think is worth the risk. But for Lexi's mom, it's a risk worth taking. "Hope is a major thing. When you haven't had hope for almost nine years and you finally get it, you really go with it," said mom Heather Smith. Advocates for the stem cell treatment say the earlier Lexi has the treatment, the better the chance that it will work. (Copyright ©2008 WLS-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

Help! Out of 200 questions, I need help on these 20! Please answer any you can!? 1. What function of bone makes a transplant of this type necessary: a. lipid storage b. calcium storage c. blood cell producation d. non of the above 2. What is the true cause of osteoporosis? a. poor calcium storage b. long term dietary deficiency of calcium c. poor calcium uptake. d. non of the above 3. Why are bones the vicitm of this disorder? a. calcium is removed from bone b. coincidence c. Anti-osteoporotic drugs attack bone d. phosphorus is removed from bone 4. What cells are invlved in mineral release from bone? a. osteocytes b. chrondrocytes c. osteoblasts d osteoclasts e. all of the above 5 .All of the following are functions of the serum calcium except a. muscle contraction b. blood clotting c. cellular transport d. all are functions e. none are functions 6. When blood calcium levels are low a. osteoclast activity increases b. osteoclast activity decreases c. osteoblast activity increases d. osteoblast activity decreasese e. bone cells are not involved in maintenance of calcium levels 7. A person with osteoporosis develops a hump in the throacic region of the vertebral clumn. This is due to a. demineralization of bone b. decreased collagen content in bone c. increased mineral content in bone d. none of the above 8. In which direction is compact bone most susceptible to force? a. longitudinally b. diagonally c. from the side d. compact bone is not susceptible to force 9. Bones that form in the sclera and testis due to stress are called? a. spongy bone' b. sesamoid bones c. heterotrophic bones d. dermal bones 10. Other tissues that may abnormally for bone are dermis, tendons, and kidneys. What do they have in common? a. nothing, it is random bone formation b. they are prone to stress c. they come from the same tissue origionally d. they have the same genes 11. Which of the following hormones is synthesized in the kidney and dependent upon cholecalciferol and therefore sunlight to be produced? a. vitamin d b. thyroxine c. calcitonin d. calciferol 12. Loss of estrogen following menopause is a major contributor to osteporosis. Why? a. estrogen inhibits osteoclast activity. b. estrogen aids in calcium uptake into bone c. estrogen has no effect on bone d. estrogen aids phosphorus uptake into bone 13. What is the term for premature closing of the fontanels? a. craniostenosis b. cranial sutures c. this does not happen d. cranial calcification 14. What would the structural result of premature closing of the fontanels be? a. large head b. small head c. abnormally shaped skull d. none of the above 15. What is the physiological result of premature closings of the fontanels? a. restricition of brain development b. restricition of muscle development c. there would be no effect d. restriciton of the spinal cord 16. What causes the development of the secondary curvatures of the vertebral column? a. they are present at birth b. weight bearing c. genetics d. movement 17. Which vertebral column curves are considered the accommodation curves? a. thoracic and sacral b. thoracic and lumbar c. cervical and lumbar d. cervical and sacral 18. Which vertebral column curves are considered compensation curves? a. thoracic and sacral b. thoracic and lumbar c. cervical and lumbar d. cervical and sacral 19. In the embryo what mechanism do the long bones form by? a. endochondral ossicification b. intramembranous ossification 20. What is the best way to treat osteoporosis? a. viatmins b. minerals c. exercise d. prevent its onset