Stork Medical, which provides storage of Cord Blood Stem Cells, recently announced a $60,000,000 charity program for the United States military. Stork Medical is not only giving away cord blood storage to soldiers who have sustained spinal cord or brain injuries while serving our country, but also offering every current and former soldier large discounts to honor their service.
A newborn’s cord blood is rich in stem cells. These cells, are often stored in case the baby or a blood related relative needs them later in life. The closer the blood relation to the baby, the more likely that these cells will be helpful. They are currently used to treat over seventy diseases, and the list is growing. In fact, a recent episode of NBC’s Today Show credited these cells for curing a child’s cerebral palsy. Currently, these cells are best known for being the best treatment of leukemia. It is a strongly believed by some, that stem cells will one day provide treatment for spinal cord injury, breast cancer, burns, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, heart attack, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and numerous other dreadful illnesses.
Doctor Jonathan Liss, founder of Stork Medical, hopes that stem cells will one day be used to treat today’s battlefield injuries and tomorrows illnesses from chemical exposures. To help this become a reality, Stork Medical is trying to make cord blood storage affordable to everyone who has served our country. Dr. Liss noted the heart wrenching story of Veteran Coy Thomas, who fought in the jungles of Vietnam, and is now searching public donation banks to find a close enough cord blood match to treat the leukemia he has developed from exposure to Agent Orange.
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