Cord blood donation hailed after daughter's life-saving transplant

A mother who donated her baby's cord blood in 2017 said a similar cord blood donation later saved her daughter, who was treated for blood cancer in 2022.

A mother who donated umbilical cord blood after giving birth has said her daughter later benefited from a cord blood transplant. Natasha Kirkpatrick donated her daughter Ellaria's cord blood when Ellaria was born in 2017 at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital. In 2022, Ellaria needed a cord blood transplant to treat blood cancer. The family has spoken publicly about the role of cord blood in the child's recovery. Key facts: - Natasha Kirkpatrick donated her daughter Ellaria's cord blood at birth in 2017 at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital. - In 2022, Ellaria received a cord blood donation to treat blood cancer. - The mother said her daughter would not have survived without the donation. - Cord blood is rich in stem cells found in the placenta and umbilical cord and can be used to treat some cancers, immune conditions and genetic disorders. Summary: The family reports that a cord blood transplant was used in Ellaria's treatment and that without it she would not have survived. Undetermined at this time.