Thanks to the Texas Cord Blood Bank, Valentina had a second chance at life after fighting an immune disorder at only 9 months old. Now, she is a healthy girl enjoying her life.
Donating your baby’s umbilical cord blood can make a difference for patients fighting leukemia, lymphoma and other blood cancers and blood disorders.
Because finding a cord blood match is more likely if the donor and patient are from the same ethnic background, we encourage families of all backgrounds to donate.
Inform your doctor about your interest in donating cord blood.
Cord blood is the blood that remains in your baby’s umbilical cord after birth. Cord blood has been found to be a rich source of stem cells and can be used as an alternative to bone marrow to treat many life-threatening diseases.
Umbilical cord blood stem cell transplants are the last hope after other treatments have failed for hundreds of patients living with leukemia, lymphoma and other forms of cancer. Many patients unable to find a marrow or stem cell match on the Be The Match Registry® turn to cord blood in hopes of a cure.
In order to receive a cord blood transplant, a patient must find a matching donor—someone who has the same genetic tissue typing of the immune system. Patients are more likely to match a donor from the same ethnic or racial background, which can be challenging for patients with a diverse ancestry.
The Texas Cord Blood Bank (TCBB) is the official public cord blood bank of Texas, and a critical link in the national Be The Match network that actively works to match patients with cord blood donations. Since 2005, TCBB has partnered with hospitals across the state to collect and store thousands of cord blood units from generous Texas mothers to create a unique source of ethnically diverse, lifesaving cord blood units.
TCBB plays an important role in banking more units from ethnically diverse donors and finding better matches for patients in Texas’ diverse population.
Choosing to donate to a public cord blood bank is free, and your baby’s cord blood will be stored until a match is found for a patient who needs a cord blood stem cell transplant. Donating your baby’s cord blood might be someone’s hope for life.
You can also choose to bank your baby’s cord blood in a private storage, where it is stored for a fee until it’s needed to treat either your child or a sibling or parent who may be battling a qualifying disease or condition.
Donating your baby’s cord blood with the Texas Cord Blood Bank is free. You can help others at no cost to you.
Donation does not affect the normal birthing process.
There is no medical risk to your child.
Cord blood usually is discarded as biomedical waste following a normal delivery.
Update your contact by contacting us here.
Was your life saved by the generous gift of blood, tissue or cord blood? Or are you a donor who’d like to share why you chose to save a life?
For more than 45 years, the nonprofit South Texas Blood & Tissue Center has focused on a critical purpose: to save and improve lives.
Inspired by a group of physicians, our organization was formed to provide blood to the South Texas region – ensuring a safe and adequate blood supply through proper testing, storage and distribution to hospitals. This essential service allows front-line workers to focus on the direct care of patients, with confidence that this lifesaving resource will be there when it’s needed most.
But we didn’t stop there. Over the years, we’ve evolved as the needs of our patients and hospitals have changed, driven to save lives in as many ways as possible.
We couldn’t do this without donors like you. We understand that the gift of donation is a personal, powerful choice that has the potential to touch a life. Today, we offer many ways to make a difference that include:
Our team has also expanded its programs, partnering with leaders within the healthcare industry to develop a wide range of therapies.
