Non-profit community blood bank aims to bring awareness toward cord blood donation, share how mothers can give life twice
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – June 29, 2023 – Every day, mothers around the world donate their umbilical cord blood in an effort to save lives. LifeSouth Community Blood Centers Cord Blood Bank (part of LifeSouth Community Blood Centers) is dedicated to raising awareness about cord blood donation in celebration of National Cord Blood Awareness Month. LifeSouth is the first cord blood bank in the Southeast, and the fifth nationwide, to be certified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and continues to be a leader in this growing healthcare field.
Umbilical cord blood is a rich source of stem cells, which can be used in treatment of many diseases and disorders. Cord blood transplants can help treat more than 80 blood cancers, genetic diseases and immune system and metabolic disorders, including leukemia, lymphoma and sickle cell anemia. It has surpassed bone marrow as a source for stem cells in transplants. To date, more than 40,000 patients have received cord blood transplants since the procedure was first performed in 1988.
“Each donation has the chance to be someone else's hope to survive,” said Luis Hernandez, LifeSouth director of Cellular Therapies for LifeSouth Cord Blood Bank. “Every donation matters and is an opportunity for the mom to give life twice.”
Local mothers delivering at UF Health Jacksonville, UF Health North and Baptist Medical Center have the option to donate their umbilical cord blood to LifeSouth. During a cord blood donation, a medical professional collects the stem cell-rich blood from the umbilical cord after delivery. The process is painless for both the mother and child. There is no fee associated with donating cord blood.
Once a donation has been received and tested, it is securely stored by LifeSouth and added to the National Marrow Donor Program’s Be the Match® Registry – the largest and most diverse donor registry in the world. LifeSouth Community Blood Centers Cord Blood Bank is accredited by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT).
For more information, visit lifesouth.org/cord-blood-bank.
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About LifeSouth:
LifeSouth is a non-profit community blood bank serving more than 125 hospitals in Alabama, Florida and Georgia. LifeSouth is committed to meeting the blood supply needs of hospitals and their patients by providing the highest quality blood components and services. The LifeSouth team is dedicated to making sure the blood is there when a patient is in need. To learn more, visit LifeSouth.org of donatingblood.org.
About LifeSouth Cord Blood Bank:
LifeSouth Cord Blood Bank is a public cord blood bank that collects and stores umbilical cord blood for the purpose of clinical transplantation and research. LifeSouth manufactures an FDA licensed cord blood product called CORDCYTE and is FACT accredited. LifeSouth Cord Blood Bank participates in the network of public cord blood banks affiliated with the National Marrow Donor Program’s (NMDP) Be The Match Registry® and the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR). LifeSouth Cord Blood Bank is focused on increasing the ethnic diversity of donors from which cord blood is collected. LifeSouth Cord Blood Bank is a program of LifeSouth Community Blood Centers which is a non-profit community blood bank serving more than 125 in Alabama, Florida and Georgia.