What is the Cord Blood Donation Program at Valley Medical Center?

The Cord Blood Donation program launched at Valley a few months ago and is a collaboration with Bloodworks Northwest. Valley is one of the five hospitals that participate program in the state of Washington.

Why cord blood?

Umbilical cord contains an abundance of stem cells which can give rise to blood and white blood cells when transplanted, similar to bone marrow. It can give critically ill patients with leukemia, lymphoma and other blood diseases a chance for a cure.

Patients from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds often have a more challenging time finding a suitable matched donor. Adding donated cord blood from diverse communities to the registry increases the likelihood that every patient will find a life-saving match.

How would pregnant patients participate in the program?

Patients can donate cord blood right after baby's birth. After a baby is delivered, the umbilical cord is clamped and blood from the umbilical cord and placenta is collected into a sterile bag. This blood is taken only from the umbilical cord and placenta, not the baby.

The patient’s blood sample will be tested for infectious diseases, then it will be sent to Bloodworks lab to be checked for volume, amount of total nuclear cells and infections. If it meets all standards, eligible donations made to Bloodworks will be listed on the Be The Match Registry and will be accessible to any provider searching for a match.

What if a patient’s cord blood is ineligible for banking?

Cord blood that can’t be used for banking can still can be used in an ongoing research in cellular therapy. Scientists are looking for treatment for such disorders as cerebral palsy, hearing loss, bone marrow disorders, heart failure.

Does it cost anything for a patient to donate cord blood?

There is no cost to donate cord blood for banking as part of this program. Bloodworks Northwest and Valley Medical Center cover the costs of collecting, processing and storing cord blood units.

How does an interested patient contact you for further information?

Patients can send an email at cordblood@valleymed.org or ask their provider or midwife about the program.