Frequently Asked Questions
For StudentsWhy is cord blood thrown away?
Good question! This is usually this first question students ask once they learn how cord blood is currently being used to treat 80+ diseases including leukemia, lymphoma and sickle cell. The answer is twofold: Education/Awareness and Money. Up until now, cord blood was thrown away because no one realized how valuable it was. Now, we are starting to realize it but not everyone has the logistics in place or the financial resources available to store it. Governments need to dedicate resources to educating the public and to setting up public banking systems (these are costly). Likewise, parents need to prioritize either donating or privately banking cord blood along with other decisions like strollers, baby bottles, colors for the nursery. More financial assistance also needs to be provided to those families in need and in a high risk situation (ie. treating a child with cerebral palsy, treating an illness detected during pregnancy, etc.). Someone in my family is pregnant. Can they save their baby's cord blood? Yes, your family member can save their baby's cord blood. Please share what you have learned about cord blood stem cells and direct them to our main website (www.SavetheCordFoundation.org) to learn about their options to either publicly donate or family bank their baby's cord blood. Can cord blood cure cancer? Just like bone marrow, cord blood stem cells have been used to treat cancer, in particular, blood cancers. In fact, both national registries are run by the same people, BETHEMATCH! However, we hesitate to use the word "cure" because, as we all know, "the cure for cancer" has yet to be found. But, we can say with confidence that cord blood provides a viable and accepted treatment option for many suffering from various forms of cancer. See the list of diseases currently treated with cord blood on our main website. Why do I need to know this? The world of medicine is changing fast thanks to recent developments in stem cell research. Marvelous new treatments are quickly becoming mainstream. Your generation will be the first generation to really benefit from these discoveries. You will be hearing more and more about stem cells in the news and from your doctors. You need to be able to ask the right questions, consider the source of this information, make decisions regarding your own health and that of your family. Your generation will also be the new generation of scientists and doctors who will push this research further, make it more attainable to the general public, begin to eliminate certain diseases thanks to cord blood stem cells . . . change medicine forever. Do you offer internships or could you put me in touch with someone to get an internship in cord blood? Yes. As a 501c3 non-profit, Save the Cord Foundation offers a rolling internship program with a limited number of spaces. Internships can be based out of our headquarters in Arizona or within your local community. Programs run throughout the year and can be tailored to your interests. Contact us to find out more. Are there non-medical careers in the cord blood industry? Yes! There are tons of non-medical careers in the cord blood industry. Our program, "Cord Blood in the Classroom" gives special attention to both medical and non-medical careers. Ask your teacher to register for this program to learn more. |
For TeachersWho designed the Next Generation: Cord Blood lesson plans?
For the NEXT GENERATION: Cord Blood program, Save the Cord Foundation has drawn on the advice and cooperation of key scientific organizations in the cord blood industry, educational groups who support school science programs throughout the state of Arizona and a core group of science teachers who actively participated in the development of lesson plans and choice of materials. How long does the program last? NEXT GENERATION: Cord Blood is designed to be taught in one class session. It can be extended through interactive exercises, further research on the topic, participating in online webinars, watching video interviews with researchers and cord blood transplant recipients, etc. Some teachers combine this program with a tour of a cord blood bank or a visit from a cord blood expert locally. If you are interested in any of these options, simply let us know and we will help. For which ages or grade levels was this programmed designed? The program offers specific lesson plans and educational videos for each age level, from K-12. Pre-school to Elementary: For the younger ones, the program is less scientific and more focused on the basic concepts of giving and sharing while making young students aware of how valuable cord blood is (in very simple terms). These concepts are taught through an art activity. The lesson plan was designed in accordance with Core Curriculum Standards under the guidance of public school art teachers. Teachers can submit artwork to our online Young Artists Gallery for free. Middle School: We provide lesson plans and educational videos adapted to this age group and building on concepts required by the Core Curriculum Standards. High School and University: For this age group, the lesson plans and educational videos are more advanced. Stem cells and the biology behind cord blood are discussed in detail as well as a general overview of how the cord blood industry works and possible STEM careers in the field. This program was developed in close collaboration with science teachers and leading scientific educational groups in order to ensure that the material presented is adapted to this age group and builds on concepts required by the Core Curriculum Standards. What is "Cord Blood in the Classroom?" Launching in 2024, "Cord Blood in the Classroom" is the latest addition to #NEXTGENERATION: Cord Blood. This new flagship program was designed for the modern high school classroom featuring a click & play lesson, led by industry experts. We have provided a variety of interactive tools including a digital Escape Room! Teachers can choose which tools they wish to use. Everything can be easily added to Google Classroom. In addition, we have included a special focus on both medical and non-medical careers in the cord blood industry. Ask us about this exciting new program! What is the process for my school to register? How much does it cost? FREE! All of our programs are free. Simply contact us with your school information and we will be in touch! Click here to start the process and learn more. What support do you provide teachers? Each teacher is given their own personal log-in to NEXT GENERATION: Cord Blood. We will also provide you with the direct contact information for our NEXT GENERATION support team once you are enrolled. Behind the scenes, you will be given a personalized account with access to the documentation that you need. I am not a science teacher. Can I still participate in this program? Yes. We have designed NEXT GENERATION: Cord Blood to be flexible. Leader of a youth group? Public program coordinator for a science museum? Contact us and we will be happy to discuss how to move forward. I am Kindergarten or Elementary School teacher. Can I still participate in this program? Yes, absolutely! We have a creative and exciting program just for the little ones. Register your interest and we will tell you all about it! |
For ParentsWho is the main organizer of this program?
This program is organized and managed exclusively by Save the Cord Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit, that promotes cord blood education globally and supports both public and private cord blood banking. How can I support NEXT GENERATION: Cord Blood and cord blood education in general? As a non-profit organization, we rely exclusively on donations to do our job. We are serious about cord blood education and we do need your support. Help us get the message to parents, health professionals and, especially, the Next Generation. Make a donation today. Thank you. Are you collecting information on my child? How do you protect a student's identity and privacy? We are parents ourselves. We respect your child's privacy. We do not collect any information on any of the students unless it is provided by the child's teacher and/or parent directly. We will always ask for written permission from the school to use any photos, quotes, documents, recordings, artwork, etc. for marketing purposes and we will not share this information with any partners or third parties. How can I bring Next Generation: Cord Blood to my school? Just contact us and we will follow up. Meanwhile, please talk to your child's teacher about NEXT GENERATION: Cord Blood. Encourage them to visit the website to learn more. Why is this being taught to my child? Your child is growing up in a world where medicine is changing very quickly thanks to advances in stem cell technology. They need to understand the basic science behind these technologies so that they can make educated decisions in the future for themselves and their family. A lack of general knowledge about stem cells and, in particular, cord blood stem cells will hinder them greatly when studying biology at the college level, reading news articles about new discoveries in cellular therapies (a hot topic in the news recently). More importantly, a lack of knowledge about this field could also potentially prevent them from exploring a life-saving treatment for themselves or a loved one. |
If you don't find answers to your questions on our website, please just drop us an email.