LifebankUSA^®; Success Stories

Stem cell transplants are saving the lives of real people, right now.

LifebankUSA values the stem cell transplant success stories we receive from doctors and families who have benefited from cord blood banking and Placenta-Cord banking.

Read below to learn more about the lifesaving treatments made possible through the use of placental and cord blood stem cells from LifebankUSA.

A little boy makes history

The first transplant using stem cells from both cord blood and the placenta

As a pediatric cancer transplant specialist, Dr. Lolie Yu is accustomed to treating very sick children. She is also accustomed to the heartbreak associated with severe illness. When the renowned oncologist met 4-year-old Quentin in 2007, she knew that the likelihood of death from the boy's form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia "was very high."

But at the time Quentin was diagnosed, his mother was pregnant with a sibling.

"I said, 'Let's collect the cord blood,'" Dr. Yu recalls.

Quentin's parents agreed. After the baby was delivered, they banked the placental and cord blood with LifebankUSA-and discovered that the stem cells were a perfect match for Quentin. A short time later, Dr. Yu skillfully performed the transplant, using stem cells from both the placenta and cord blood. And Quentin began healing shortly thereafter. Quentin's cancer has been in complete remission since his transplant surgery. He was deemed fully cured* on March 28, 2010, which marked the 2-year anniversary of his transplant.

*Individual results may vary. There is no guarantee of similar transplant success.

Read Quentin's Story by clicking here.

A sister gives the gift of life

This story began in March 2001, when the parents of a newborn girl banked her cord blood with LifebankUSA. Two years later, their second child-Brian*-was born with a type of blood cancer called acute myelogenous leukemia. Thankfully, the family had saved his older sister's stem cells, which were a match. Doctors were able to perform a successful stem cell transplant before Brian's first birthday. He has now been well-and fully cured-for more than 6 years.

"Six weeks after our son was born, he was diagnosed with leukemia. We were told there was a 50/50 chance of survival," his mother, Maura, said. "When we told our oncologist we had banked our daughter's cord blood with LifebankUSA, his face lit up. We'd had no family history or specific reason to bank the cord blood. We just did it. It saved our son's life-and ours, really. Unless anyone has been through what we've been through, you cannot understand the unbelievable impact this has had on our lives."

- Maura,
LifebankUSA client,
New Jersey

*Name has been changed for privacy purposes.

In France, a cure for a young boy's leukemia

LifebankUSA released stem cells for transplant in a 9-year-old boy with a fast growing cancer called acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). The 2005 transplant, using donor cells, was performed successfully at the FNI Transplant Center in Nice, France. The young boy continues to do well, a report that LifebankUSA is proud to share.

In the Netherlands, success for an infant with Hurler's syndrome

LifebankUSA released stem cells for transplant in a 1-year-old boy with Hurler's syndrome, which can lead to progressive mental and physical deterioration. The transplant, using donor cells, took place at the University Medical Center, Utrecht, Netherlands in 2005. LifebankUSA is happy to report that the transplant was a success, and the child continues to do well.

Cord blood and placenta-derived stem cells banked with LifebankUSA are indicated for hematopoietic reconstitution (the reformation of blood cellular components) for autologous use or use in first or second degree blood relatives. Any use of cord blood and placental stem cells other than for hematopoietic reconstitution is considered investigational, including regenerative medicine* therapies.

The chance that a child will use his/her own stored stem cells during his/her lifetime for currently treated conditions is estimated at 1 in 400 (J.J. Nietfeld). These odds may increase if there is a family history of certain blood disorders or cancers. The potential risks and benefits of stem cell transplantation vary and depend on many factors, such as the amount and quality of the stem cells collected, the HLA compatibility between recipient and donor, and the client’s overall health. Talk with your health care provider. For more information, call us at 1-877-LIFEBANKUSA (1-877-543-3226) or visit www.lifebankusa.com. View Product Information.

*These uses are not consistent with current labeling, are investigational and may never become standard therapy.

References:

Nietfeld JJ, Pasquini MC, Logan BR, Verter F, Horowitz MM. Lifetime probabilities of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the U.S. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2008;14(3):316-322.