The Parent’s Guide to Cord Blood Foundation have published an interview with Matthew Farrow, who was the world’s first cord blood transplant recipient. The transplant occurred in 1988 when Matthew was just 5 years-old. The transplant was used to treat Fanconi Anaemia, which he had been diagnosed with the year before.
Fanconi Anaemia is a very rare genetic disease that causes congenital defects, abnormalities of the skin, short stature, kidney problems and a shortened lifespan. Most people with Fanconi anaemia develop cancer at some point in their life. People with the disease usually die before they reach 29 years of age.
He received an umbilical cord blood transplant from his younger sister. The procedure was a success and Matt remains free of Fanconi anaemia today.
Matt now works for a public/private stem cell bank called CordUse. He performs public outreach to help raise the awareness and understanding of umbilical cord blood stem cells. He often talks to parents of children with Fanconi anaemia, to inform them about their treatment options. Matt enjoys showing them that a person with Fanconi anaemia can recover and enjoy a normal life.
Matt suggests that the general public needs to be better informed about the medicinal potential of umbilical cord blood stem cells. He also suggests that the media negatively represents some stem cell research and focuses on embryonic stem cells. Umbilical cord blood stem cells are non-controversial because they are taken from tissue normally discarded as medical waste.
Matt believes that stem cell companies should have informative commercials which explain the benefits of umbilical cord blood banking to expecting parents. He hopes that his story of being the world’s first successful cord blood transplant recipient will encourage more people to preserve their child’s umbilical cord blood.
Source: Interview with Matt Farrow, World’s 1st Cord Blood Transplant Recipient