For the mommies-to-be and the ones planning.....IMPORTANT!

Sorry I haven't been around in sooooo long! Some of you may remember me??? Anyway, Congrats to all the mommies-to-be!
I just have an important message to give you and trust me I do not want to kill the joy you are experiencing!! The message being: when you have the baby save the cord blood.
My cousin has regretted for the last year and robably for the rest of her life that she didn't do it. She never really knew anything about cord blood when she was pregnant. Well, six months after giving birth to a beautiful baby boy, Frankie Potis, he was diagnosed with Leukemia. If she had saved the cord blood it would have been an instant cure for Frankie. They were on the TV a few times because the Firefighters in Seattle and NJ held a blood drive to help find a Bone Marrow match for Frankie.
Then in April, Frankie lost his battle with Leukemia. We were and still are devastated! He was only 13 months, half his life spent in hospitals and being hooked up to IV's, etc!
I hope this message will save someone else's life! I know the proceedure for saving the cord blood is costly, but think of what you will never have to go through. I can go on and on!
My cousin started a website about Frankie. It started with her just letting everyone know how Frankie was doing in the hospital, but it has grown since then. My cousin, Kelly and her huband have done a lot and been though a lot. You can see Frankie's pictures and read his story on www.babyfrankie.com
Thanks for taking the time to read this. If anything I hope everyone gives blood, becomes a bone marrow donor or save the cord blood. I don't mean to sound like a preahcer, but I have been through a life altering experience....of course it doesn't come close to what my cousin is going through, but I feel this the only way to help in a helpless situation!!

Thanks,
Michelle B.

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss.
Thank you for passing on valuable information. My sympathy and hugs to you and your family.

What a darling little angel. My heart is breaking for you and your cousin.
Will pass along your info.

My deepest sympathies on the loss of your loved one.

Michelle B., I am so sorry that your family had to lose this beautiful baby boy. I can only imagine how terrible it must be for your cousin and I believe you have a little angel in heaven looking down. Thank you for the suggestion to save cord blood. It is definitely worth every parent-to-be looking into it.

Use of one's own cord blood could not necessarily help a child with leukemia because he can't receive his own cord blood for treatment because it will contain the same immune weaknesses the child already has and may be contaminated with leukemia cells. But the cord blood of a sibling or even a stranger that has banked their child's in a 'public pool' could be very very important.

Anyone looking into it will find that these cord blood banks are very helpful with answering any questions you may have. Do your research so you know if it's right for you.

Again, I am so sorry that Baby Frankie did not get to live a longer life, it's the kind of thing we all don't want to think of when pregnant. I went to the website and just reading his Mother's Diary, my heart was breaking for her. I wish everyone and healthy pregnancy!

Michele
I first heard about Frankie on the radio--when Fergie first called in-- I cried--and since they won and turned the car over I have cried every time I heard the replay-- it is remarkable what your cousin has done during this difficult time--
Laura

Thank you all for your kind words!

When they won the contest on WPLJ, I can't tell you how happy they were. It made them feel like they made a difference! We were all crying and screaming into the phone after it was announced. All proceeds were donated to the hospital that took care of Frankie. I don't know how Kelly does it, but she keeps going and does more miraculous things all the time. The same day that it was announced that Fergie was the winner, Kelly was on her way to the corporation that is going to make Frankie the poster child for Cord Blood, Pints for Tots, and something else I forget.
Well, I just hope I can help her make a difference too! Thanks again!

Not having a baby but Im just curious. I watched a Dateline or 20/20 special about saving the cord blood and it seemed that the gist was that its mostly a scam for medical firms to profit from.

Obviously, this doesn't seem to be the case here.

Who is correct?

How could his own blood save him from lukemia? If he could have used other cord blood - how does one go about getting it and why couldn't Frankie get it?

Sonicstef-
Very good questions, but I don't have the answers. My cousin is the one who told me some of the information. If I remember correctly she said Frankie's own cord blood would have 'cleansed' his system of the Leukemia. She did a lot of research on it, but she didn't tell us all that was going on either. I don't know if anyone thought about checking the cord blood bank for a match for Frankie. I couldn't ask that now.

If you go on the website and email Kelly about info on the cord blood banks I am sure she would answer you. I am sorry I don't have all the answers for you, but Kelly does!