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The one-year-old child is due to undergo stem cell transplant derived from his siblings’ cord blood in India today morning. The unnamed Dubai-based family is currently in India for the transplant.
“The couple, who were both carriers of the thalassaemia genes, were lucky to have children who were normal. It was at this point that they decided to store the cord blood at our centre for future use,” said Fatma.
“When their third child was born in 2012 and was a thalassaemia major,” she said, “the stored blood came as a blessing as it will now help save the child’s life.”
Luckily, the cord blood was a 100 per cent match. “Though blood from family members usually matches, the chances of a cure are high if the match is 100 per cent,” she said.
Beta thalassaemia major is an inherited blood disorder that occurs when the genes governing the production of haemoglobin are flawed. The most common treatment is for patients to receive regular blood transfusions.
The only known cure for thalassemia major is a stem cell transplant. After the patient’s own bone marrow is destroyed, stem cells from a healthy matched donor are infused into the patient’s bloodstream. Cord blood stem cells have been shown to be highly successful when used in transplants.
At present, 3,200 units are stored at the centre for the next 20 years.
The centre charges a one-time registration fee of Dh2,000. In total, the fee for 20 years is Dh9,000 which includes testing and provision of a collection kit. The centre also asks women to donate the cord blood to the public registry that can later be used to save lives.
“If a patient is seeking treatment outside of the UAE, we ship the unit to the patient and bear all the costs,” said Fatma. The shipment can cost upto Dh3,000.
On the occasion of Mothers’ Day on March 21, the centre will be distributing gifts to women in Dubai and Latifa Hospitals and at Mediclinic to raise awareness on the benefits of cord blood. “We will be telling women how important it is to save cord blood,” she added.
CORD BLOOD FACTS
The umbilical cord blood is rich in stem cells and can be used to treat blood disorders such as thalassaemia, leukaemia and severe anemia through transplant
The blood collection is painless and will not harm the mother or baby
The samples can be stored for 20-25 years for own use or can be donated
The stored units are transplanted to the patient through IV which is a painless procedure
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