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“Congratulations! You’re having twins.” When Naren and Seema had been informed of this ecstatic news, they were over the moon. The couple had been trying to conceive for close to a year and finally knowing that they were about to be parents, of not just one but two babies were more than they could have asked for.
The expecting couple were very careful during the first trimester as they had been informed that chances for a miscarriage were highest during that time. They followed the doctor’s instructions to the‘t’. After the first three months were over, they decided it was time to inform their friends and family of their good news.
At a party celebrating their news, Seema’s friend Aditi enquired of the couple regarding their plans for cord blood banking. However, neither Naren nor Seema seemed to have much information on what it was. Aditi told them that the process of storing a newborn baby’s umbilical cord blood from which stem cells can be extracted and may be used to treat a wide variety of critical diseases and disorders like leukaemia, thalassemia, etc is basically what cord blood banking was all about. Seema was intrigued with the idea; however, Naren believed “it’s just a fancy marketing ploy by healthcare companies to get money from worried expectant parents. My babies will be fine. We don’t need to store anything for them.”
Even though Naren wasn’t interested in cord blood banking, Seema started her research online. The more she read, the more she learned of the benefits that cord blood banking could provide to her children. And not just for her twins, but any other blood relatives including the children that she could have in the future.
Eventually, she decided to ask her friend as to what had convinced her to opt for cord blood banking. Aditi said, “There is a history of sickle cell anaemia in my family. There were high chances that my baby too would have it. I was worried sick thinking of what life would be like for her if that happened. My doctor then told me about stem cell therapy and how quite a few clinical trials have been conducted which revealed that stem cell therapy can be used to treat sickle cell anaemia. That’s when I decided to go for it.”
Seema realised that she too wanted to ensure the safety of her babies’ future. She had read that cerebral palsy is quite common among twins and she decided that she wanted to be prepared in case her children too were affected by this ailment. That night she sat Naren down and explained her concerns to him, finally convincing him to change his mind since their babies’ health and wellbeing were their utmost priority.
Today, Seema and Naren are proud parents of two healthy baby boys, whose cord blood had been stored with a private cord blood banking facility since their birth.