Inside Duke Medicine
Media Spotlight: News & Observer features kit for collecting cord blood
posted July 21st, 2010
The umbilical cord blood collection kit is reusable.
By Eric Ferreri
To donate the stem cell-rich umbilical cord blood produced during the birth of her daughter, Jaime Feaster of Lake Charles, La., would have had to drive more than two hours to the nearest hospital equipped to collect it.
That's a long way to go when you're in labor.
Instead, Feaster turned to a fledgling Duke University Medical Center program that provides collection kits to mothers and their doctors. When Feaster's daughter, Kadee, arrived last month, the cord blood was collected, packaged and quickly shipped to a blood bank at no cost to Feaster and with minimal commitment of time and expertise from her doctor.
Duke doctor Joanne Kurtzberg wants to replicate Feaster's experience on a large scale.