“It’s a great way to use a biological resource to give people hope for the future,” said Barbieri. “It’s a gift of life.”
Donating cord blood to a private bank can be a waste of both money and an important biological resource that is more likely to be used if donated rather than stored in a family bank.
Some 8,000 mothers who give birth at Brigham and Women’s Hospital each year can now donate blood from their umbilical cords to a public bank where it may be a match for someone facing a life-threatening disease.