What does the Stem Cell Cryobank do?
Stem Cell Cryobank offers resources for the whole family to be proactive about their health and wellness. For babies we are able to offer cord blood and cord tissue banking. For adults, we are able to offer adult stem cell banking. All of these can be utilized to fight life threatening illnesses.
Our program is FDA registered, AABB accredited to ensure quality and safety. When we store your cells you can rest assured that they are being taken care of.
Should the need arise to use these cells, we also communicate with the requesting family and their doctors to ensure that the cells’ use is the proper course of action and aid in their administration.
Why are we interested in umbilical cord blood and tissue stem cell banking?
We believe that more expecting families should be properly, thoroughly, and truthfully informed about the potency of umbilical cord stem cells and what the extraction process entails, empowering families to make informed decisions.
We also aim to provide a convenient, easily accessible, secure, and personal stem cell cryopreservation option.
How does the Stem Cell Cryobank service work?
For a thorough rundown of the storage process, please see our Process page for a step-by-step guide.
In short, someone who knows how to use the collection kit at the facility where you give birth will collect the umbilical cord blood (and tissue, depending on the option chosen) and place it into our collection kit. Upon its return to the Stem Cell Cryobank, it will be immediately processed and stored. The parent is then mailed a completion report in approximately one month.
Isn’t there already a public umbilical cord blood bank?
Yes, there is. However, all umbilical cord extractions given to this registry are considered “donations” and are available for anyone’s use– they are not stored for your own family’s use. This means that at the time of greatest need, should it ever arise, your child might not have access to their life-saving stem cells and may not be able to find a match.
That is not the case when you store your child’s stem cells with Stem Cell Cryobank. Your child’s cells remain exclusively available to him or her whenever he or she needs them.
Is the Cryobank a public or private umbilical cord blood/ tissue stem cell bank?
The Stem Cell Cryobank is a private cord blood and tissue stem cell bank– all actions performed on a family’s stored stem cells are under stringent control by the family (or by those given express permission by the family).
Why doesn’t the Cryobank take part in a public registry?
The likelihood of finding a match in a public registry is quite small (to find what a “match” is, see the “Stem Cell banking Q&A), and most minorities are not represented even fairly well in these banking systems. Even when a match is found, the transplant (called “allogeneic” when the donor is not also the recipient) is risky, with high rates of complication and mortality via rejection.
Additionally, upcoming technologies and breakthroughs in the use of umbilical stem cells have extraordinary future therapeutic and treatment potentials, expanding nearly by the day as the science exponentially grows. Taking advantage of these breakthroughs will more likely than not require the use of one’s own umbilical stem cells.
For these reasons (and some others– see Our Services for a more in depth discussion), we believe families looking for the best biomedical insurance for their child should invest in personal stem cell cryostorage.
What are the Cryobank’s credentials for handling and storing umbilical stem cells?
The South Florida Stem Cell Cryobank is both FDA Registered and is accredited by AABB. We are therefore vetted by two of the country’s most stringent agencies, guaranteeing the highest quality, reliability, and safety.
Our medical director and founder, Dr. Dipnarine Maharaj, is a world-renown stem cell transplant expert, ensuring that all of our collection processes and storage protocols are up-to-date and utilize the most current knowledge in this ever-expanding field.
Is the Cryobank involved with embryonic stem cells?
No. We are in no way involved with the research, extraction, or storage of embryonic stem cells.
How long before my due date do I need to join?
We want to provide you with as much information as possible to aid you in your decision and help make it as informed as possible. To facilitate this, we ask that you contact us as soon as possible after you find out you are expecting. That will allow ample time to answer any questions you may have, to complete the registration process, and to provide you with your kit and instructions well before the baby is due.
What happens in the case of hurricane or other natural disasters?
The Cryobank is completely operational on our system of backup generators, and protocols are in place should an emergency present itself. The family with pending banking will be notified if such procedures need to be implemented.
How do I find out more or apply to have my baby’s stem cells stored?
Just call us at 561-752-5522 to speak to someone about enrolling. Or you may use the form on our “Contact Us” page.
