Natasha and her daughter Ellaria In 2017, Natasha Kirkpatrick made the decision to donate her newborn daughter’s umbilical cord blood. Little did she know that years later, someone else’s donation would save her daughter’s life. On Christmas Eve in 2019, at the age of two, Natasha’s daughter Ellaria was diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukaemia . Sadly, she relapsed after chemotherapy and the family was dealt yet another blow when a planned stem cell transplant in 2022 was cancelled three days before, as the donor had caught Covid-19 . Thankfully, Ellaria was able to receive an emergency cord blood transplant at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. Umbilical cords are rich in stem cells. The blood can be collected and used to save lives through stem cell transplants, usually treating blood cancers such as leukaemia. Her mum, who is 37 and a teacher from Marston Moretaine near Bedford, said: “I knew about cord blood because I’d donated Ellaria’s own cord blood when she was born. “The actual stem cell transplant is not scary – it’s syringes and the stem cells going into the blood – but it was a very hard time overall, Ellaria had a virus and was an inpatient for a good five months. “She is still being monitored and she has some after-effects that affected her heart and brain a little. You would not know what she has been through from looking at her...” The mum added that her daughter, now eight years old, is in Year 4 at primary school and “loves her music like Elvis, K-Pop and the Spice Girls”. She added: “I cannot thank the mum who donated the cord blood Ellaria received enough. Without the doctors and without that transplant, she would not be here. “There are really no words to express how I feel. I just think it’s great that people do it – and I was proud to do it myself.” Natasha is speaking as the NHS reached the milestone of issuing 1,000 donations of newborn babies’ umbilical cord blood for stem cell transplants. Ellaria is now thriving after her stem cell transplant. How is umbilical cord blood donated? Cord blood donation does not interfere with the birth of a baby – rather, donation takes place after birth, after the cord has been cut, and after the placenta has been delivered. There may be instances where cord blood can’t be donated, for example if you’re carrying twins or other multiples. Parents who opt for delayed cord clamping can donate, however it may impact on the chances of a successful collection. They need to collect at least 60ml of cord blood from one donation. The blood can be donated at selected hospitals, where it is then frozen and stored until a match is found. NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) said it stores around 10 cord blood donations a month. Alex Ross, head of NHS Blood and Transplant’s Cord Blood Bank, said: “The placenta and cord are usually thrown away but when donated they can save lives.” Donations are carefully monitored to ensure they remain viable. Amazingly, they can be used decades after donation. By the time units are used, the baby may even by an adult – the 1,000th unit was donated in 2016. “Your baby may be grown up by the time they save a life, perhaps even older than the recipient – it’s a very special way to donate,” added Ross. Who receives the blood? Cord blood is issued to patients in the UK, but units can also be sent around the world through reciprocal sharing agreements. This means the blood of a baby born in the UK could save the life of someone on the other side of the world. The last 20 cord blood transplants have been issued to hospitals in London, Bristol, Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester, Canada and the Netherlands, mostly to treat acute leukaemia, but also genetic immunodeficiencies in paediatric patients. Transplanted stem cells find their way into the recipient’s bone marrow where they can then produce the types of blood cells needed to reconstitute an immune system. Olivia Lamb, bone marrow transplant and CAR-T therapy clinical nurse specialist at Bristol Haematology & Oncology Centre, said she gets to witness first-hand how “life-changing” access to cord blood can be. “We are hugely grateful to NHS Blood and Transplant and to the generous donors who make this possible,” she ended. “Cord blood donation saves lives.” Find out more about cord blood donation here. Related... A ‘Big Baby Trial’ Found 1 Way To Help Women Birth Larger Babies Safely So THAT's Why Babies' Eyes Change Colour I Would Have Died If I Hadn't Received This Transplant. Here’s My Story.