Cryo-Cell International – Innovative Stem Cell Solutions

Last month, to celebrate Cord Blood Awareness month and the release of the movie “My Sister’s Keeper” we at Cryo-Cell asked our readers to share their own stories for a chance to win tickets to see the movie. To our delight, the responses were eloquent and overwhelming. Some of your stories were heartwarming, while others were heartbreaking. In every instance, your stories served to illuminate our purpose in pursuing innovative stem cell solutions for families just like yours.

There were so many common themes amidst the myriad of responses we received. The stress of our everyday lives as mothers, daughters, wives and caretakers--often facing multiple challenges that come with raising children, living without healthcare coverage, caring for ailing loved ones, coping with economic struggles or coming to terms with a life-impacting diagnosis such as breast cancer or heart disease.

Some of you are stay-at-home moms with several young children. Some balance career and family, sometimes with multiple jobs. Others are dedicated volunteers or full-time students. But all of us believe that stem cells offer promise and hope. Here are just a few stories that especially touched us:

Nicole lamented, “My husband and I have three children under five. He works double shifts…and we help take care of his 89-year-old grandfather who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. We have very little time for ourselves and our relationship as a couple.”

And Deborah wrote, “Our four-year-old son…has recently been diagnosed with autism. We have been trying to deal with his diagnosis and not get too overwhelmed.”

Or Carol, whose husband was diagnosed with cancer when she was five months pregnant. Thanks to a stem cell transplant, her husband is “alive and doing well” and enjoying their son who is now seven.

Although we all face struggles, we each have a unique purpose and mission in this life that becomes clear as our personal journeys unfold. The numerous challenges that many of you endure and the everyday miracles you have described provide me with a renewed perspective on our collective journey to advance stem cell science and regenerative medicine.

Like you, I can surely envision a time when stem cell therapies may render debilitating diseases and disorders obsolete. I, too, share your belief that there is real hope in our lifetime that researchers may pave the path to use stem cells in ways we presently find hard to imagine. I accept the formidable challenges of our complicated stem cell industry, knowing that the work we do today will continue to bring hope and promise to everyday families like yours and mine.

In spite of our different stories we share a common purpose. We are universally committed to work tirelessly for the day when innovative stem cell solutions become an affordable and accessible alternative to conventional standards of healthcare. The inspirational words of one contributor named Amneris proclaimed “I can't tell you when my day starts, because it never ends, and I love it.”

In closing, I wish to extend my heartfelt appreciation to all of our readers who took precious time to share their touching stories of struggle and triumph. Each journey has served as a poignant reminder to all of us behind the business, science and politics of the stem cell industry. With so many human lives hinging on hope, we must hold steadfast to our purpose to find the promise of stem cells.