While you are pregnant, your baby’s umbilical cord is a lifeline between the two of you. After your baby is born, umbilical cord blood can be a lifeline for someone else a child or adult with leukemia or another life-threatening illness. By donating umbilical cord blood, your baby can become a hero to a patient in need.

The blood in every umbilical cord and placenta contains stem cetis, the building blocks of healthy blood. Stem cells are found in both cord blood and bone marrow. They help babies grow and help adults replenish their blood supplies throughout life. These cells also can give the victims of leukemia, other cancers, and blood diseases a second chance for a healthy life.

Cord blood is much easier to obtain than bone marrow; it can be collected immediately after birth and does not interfere with the normal delivery process. And, since more than 10,000 babies are born in the United States every day, the number of potential donors makes it much more likely that patients will find a match.