Little Sarah Kuhl is helping cancer victims and other critically ill patients, when her parents had donated her umbilical cord so that its blood, which is rich in stem cells can be used for transplantation.

The programme is being initiated at the Christiana Hospital where Delaware’s is providing free, public banking of lifesaving cord blood.

Delaware supported by state lawmakers, New Castle County Executive Chris Coons and U.S. Rep. Mike Castle, grew from the collaboration of a grassroots foundation, nurses, other hospital personnel and New Jersey blood banks.

However Castle, stem cell research advocate and head of the Biomedical Research Caucus, was among many who said the program wouldn’t exist without Carolyn and Andrew Kohn who had started the Brady Kohn Foundation in the memory of their son who had a rare form of bone marrow disorder, which was treated with the cells from banked cord blood. Due to complications with the immune system Brady died in 2002.

Hoping to save other lives, foundation President said, the group’s volunteers helped start the pilot project two years ago at the hospital to solve medical, legal and logistics issues. In fall 2005, the project teamed up with the Elie Katz Umbilical Cord Blood Program at Community Blood Services in Paramus, N.J.

That not-for-profit blood group is covering the average $842 per cord for processing, storage and other costs, said Community Blood Services president Dennis Todd.

Cord Blood Transplantation is helping many people worldwide which, is at present treating more than 40 critical diseases.

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