Thinking ahead paid off for Barrett family

When 9-year-old Barrett Ross was born, his parents chose to save the blood from his umbilical cord – ignoring the genetic counselor who told them there was no need for the expense. There was nothing in the family’s background to indicate potential disease for the newborn, the counselor told the new parents. (Uninformed advice that many New Zealand families who ask about banking their cord blood with CordBank still hear from local doctors)

But Christine Ross, the boy’s mother, was thinking ahead. She thought by 2038, when her baby was 40, medical science surely would have use for the precious blood and its valuable stem cells if he were to develop cancer or another disease. Click here to read the Ross family story.