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Australia Supports Cord Blood for Cerebral Palsy

In a landmark moment for cerebral palsy treatment in Australia, six-year-old Zara has become the first child to receive an infusion of her own privately banked umbilical cord blood as a therapy for the condition. This historic event was made possible through a compassionate access pathway, marking a significant step beyond the confines of clinical research.

The treatment was administered at Monash Children’s Hospital in April 2025, following more than a year of meticulous planning with approval granted through the Therapeutic Goods Administration's (TGA) Special Access Scheme. This scheme allows physicians to apply for access to unapproved therapeutic goods for individual patients on a case-by-case basis when other treatment options have been exhausted.

For years, Australian families have had to travel overseas at considerable expense to access similar therapies. Zara's treatment, however, demonstrates that such cell-based therapies can be delivered safely and effectively within an Australian hospital setting.

Dr. Megan Finch-Edmondson, a Senior Research Fellow at CPA, emphasized the evidence behind the therapy, stating that umbilical cord blood "has been shown to be safe and improve movement skills for some children with cerebral palsy."

Professor Michael Fahey, the treating pediatric neurologist at Monash Children's Hospital, highlighted the novelty of the procedure in Australia. "This is something new in Australia — no one has received autologous cells, their own cells, in this setting before," he said. "We hope this paves the way for other children with CP to have this sort of therapy available."

Zara’s mother, Michelle, who advocated tirelessly for 18 months to make the treatment possible, expressed her gratitude and hope. “The procedure was straightforward, and the staff were incredible. We hope it gives Zara even a small improvement in her daily life — that would be everything.”

This case opens the door for broader advocacy and future access options for the hundreds of Australian families who have privately banked their children's cord blood. While this compassionate use was for an autologous (the patient's own) unit, it signals a new era of possibility for cell-based therapies within the country.