'I Donated My Baby's Umbilical Cord. I Never Imagined Someone Else's Would Save Her' |
Natasha and her daughter Ellaria
In 2017, Natasha Kirkpatrick made the decision to donate her newborn daughter’s umbilical cord blood. Little did she know that years later, someone else’s donation would save her daughter’s life.
On Christmas Eve in 2019, at the age of two, Natasha’s daughter Ellaria was diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Sadly, she relapsed after chemotherapy and the family was dealt yet another blow when a planned stem cell transplant in 2022 was cancelled three days before, as the donor had caught Covid-19.
Thankfully, Ellaria was able to receive an emergency cord blood transplant at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.
Umbilical cords are rich in stem cells. The blood can be collected and used to save lives through stem cell transplants, usually treating blood cancers such as leukaemia.
Her mum, who is 37 and a teacher from Marston Moretaine near Bedford, said: “I knew about cord blood because I’d donated Ellaria’s own cord blood when she was born.
“The actual stem cell transplant is not scary – it’s syringes and the stem cells going into the blood – but it was a very hard time overall, Ellaria had a virus and was an inpatient for a good five months.
“She is still being monitored and she has some after-effects that........