Cordblood and Tissue banking -Duffee baby

Our story began 25 years ago. We fell in love and got married. We were 19 and 20 living the dream. Happily married we decided to try and add to our family.  You have heard similar stories from many couples, I am sure. Every story is a little different. We sought treatment for infertility for eight years when our doctor called us to his office to give us the devastating news. Unexplained medical illness that stated Sharon was already past menopause and could never have biological children.

We began to research options to grow our family. It was both of our lifelong dreams of extending our family. We looked into foster care, adoption and IVF-with egg donor. Fast forward 13 years, when we were blessed to finally have the funds, we needed to start the IVF process, which is extremely expensive, in November 2017. 

With the help of Caperton Fertility, New Mexico we had four viable embryos and over the last few years we transferred all of them but all, but the last embryo was unsuccessful. Our beautiful baby boy is on the way. He is the last viable embryo and for now he will be an only child. Like any family we want to give him the best and healthiest life. He will only share one set of genetics as the egg donor is anonymous.



We need help raising the funds to get his cord blood and tissue stored in a bank since all our saved financial resources are exhausted. It must be collected at his birth which is quickly approaching. Sharon is Currently 30 weeks pregnant. Due date is November 26, 2020. Cord blood and tissue banking could give him and other matches a leg up should they get any number of diseases. A leg up every parent of a sick child wishes they had. There are a lot of medical conditions that cord blood and tissue are being used to heal.

 

What is/or how can Cord Blood and tissue banking benefit?

Umbilical cord blood can save lives. Cord blood is rich in stem cells that can morph into all sorts of blood cells, which can be used to treat diseases that harm the blood and immune system, such as leukemia and certain cancers, sickle-cell anemia, and some metabolic disorders. There are a few ways for transplant patients to get blood cells (umbilical and placenta, bone marrow, peripheral/circulation), but cord blood is easier to match with patients, and because it is gathered during birth from the umbilical cord, it's a painless procedure.

https://www.parents.com/pregnancy/my-baby/cord-blood-banking/is-cord-blood-banking-worth-it/

 

Imagine 25 years of medical treatments and tests and finally the process of IVF has been extremely costly. We have not asked for financial help with the entire process until now. Please help where you can, whether that is with prayers or financial support. Both are appreciated more than we could ever express. Hopefully he will never need it.

Thank you and God Bless you.

 The Duffee’s