I believe that this will be the next generation of medicine. Area … – WTHITV.com

VINCENNES, Ind. (WTHI) In the past, new moms would be asked if they wanted to save their umbilical cord blood for future, personal use.

But at one area hospital, a new partnership is taking that concept and making it public.

Amelia Nance and her fianc just welcomed their second child on Monday, a baby boy named Finn.

The new mom says, Its neat to be a part of something thats growing in a positive way.

Nance just donated the umbilical cord, cord blood, placenta, and amniotic fluid from Finns birth to Life Line Stem Cell.

Its a partnership at Good Samaritan Hospital thats just weeks old.

However, officials say around 90% of patients take part in the program.

Margaret Suozzi, MSN/RN is the Director of Women & Children Services at Good Samaritan.

She says, Like any program we havent been up and running long enough to have monthly stats yet, but we anticipate that we will be pretty close to that even from the very beginning. And any time you start a new program, its always one of those things where theyre like, What does this mean? What do I do?'

One of the first questions asked is, Does this cost anything? The answer is no. It is a free service.

Since being a new or expecting mom is hard enough, Life Line has narrowed the donation process down to a questionnaire.

Nance says, The form is actually really simple its pretty laid out, open questions, it asks you about your history, your parents history.

If the tissues werent donated they would be properly disposed of by the hospital.

Suozzi says that could mean missing out on countless possibilities to change someone elses life.

Suozzi says, I believe that this will be the next generation of medicine. We are already finding a million things that stem cells can do for our existing patients in other areas: diabetics, wound care, Chrons disease, and many other things. And I think it is the tip of the ice berg. So for our patients to be able to donate to the cause and to be able to help others, is just one sign of Indiana hospitality.

Life Line Stem Cell allows the family that provides the tissue first dibs if a family member could benefit from the blood.

But after that, its donated to a registry for public use.

Thats part of the reason Nance decided she wanted to take part.

The new mom says, I would say its excellent. The fact that, again, it was absolutely no cost to me, it didnt hurt our child, and we could donate it and it could possibly help him out again or you know, one of my family members. Ive had family members thats died of cancer or different diseases. And its nice to know that there can possibly be research done with this blood that would help progress you know, a cure or even just something that would help prolong a positive future for somebody. Whether it be a kid or a child with a disease that might otherwise be painful or negative in their life.

A rep for Life Line Stem Cell says one placenta can be used to heal as many as 100 eyes.

He says amniotic fluid is showing great results in the healing process for burn victims too.

Tricia Crowe is a Life Line Stem Cell Training Manager. She says, It is important that families understand that we are only using hematopoietic blood cells that are found in the umbilical cord and are blood forming. They give rise to red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

Suozzi says Good Samaritan is the only hospital in the Southwest region that is offering this program.

For more information on stem cell donation, contact Good Samaritans Women and Infants Center at 812-885-3369 or click here.

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I believe that this will be the next generation of medicine. Area ... - WTHITV.com