The Baby Show May 2015 - Video Transcript:
[Hannah Smith; Customer Care Manager]
Future Health Biobank is the UK’s largest stem cell bank, so we’re currently holding about 100,000 samples. This is what we’ve been doing now for around 13 years, so we’re incredibly experienced in our industry. We will store stem cells for you, for 25 years in case you ever need them for treatment of your child, or any siblings or possibly family members as well. It’s a private source of stem cells, just for you.
[Fiona Smith; Customer]
My name’s Fiona, I had my baby 9 months ago, a little baby girl; Amelia and I used Future Health Biobank to collect both the (cord tissue) stem cells and the cell blood. I think it’s an absolutely amazing service and I think we need to start using this advanced technology and scientific research. I think, the more development you guys can do, only makes the service even greater because you’re finding more things to do with the stem cells.
What diseases can umbilical cord stem cells presently treat?
[Amanda Williamson; Customer Care Executive]
Currently, cord blood can treat 85 blood disorders, such as your leukaemia’s, anaemias, auto-immune disorders and immune deficiencies. And then with your cord tissue, it’s currently in 300 clinical trials, to regenerate tissue, muscle ligaments, but also things like diabetes, cerebral palsy and autism.
[Jo Studholme; Customer]
I chose Future Health largely through having quite in-depth conversations with them, just them being so approachable. Also, friendly. I felt important, not just somebody else that they were dealing with, so for me it was that one-to-one personal relationship that made me choose them.
What is the collection process?
[Hannah Smith; Customer Care Manager]
So, once you’ve come back to us and decided you want to go ahead, we will then send out a contract that you need to complete and after that we will send out a collection kit for you. The collection kit, you don’t need to do anything clever with, you just need to keep it at home and take it to hospital with you when you go into labour, it’s just really important to remember that one. What we’ll also do is, we’ll assign a healthcare professional, who will collect the sample for you at the hospital.
[Fiona Smith; Customer]
They just went off into a separate room, and all behind the scenes, handled it very professionally. They took the sample and I never saw any of it, I got the moment with my baby and I didn’t have to worry about ‘if everything is being collected fine,’ it’s all good.
What is the sample release process?
[Hannah Smith; Customer Care Manager]
We will talk you through the process, if they decide to release the sample then we’ll obviously arrange with the doctors to send that over, wherever that is, whatever transplant facility you choose. We will get it there for you and we will send a scientist with it as well. And they will then facilitate the transplantation.
[Jo Studholme; Customer]
For me, its peace of mind, its something that I sincerely hope that I will never ever ever have to use. I suppose it’s a little bit like an insurance policy that you hope you’re never going to have to claim off, but should I need to, I know its there, for me, for the baby but also potentially siblings if we need it.
What 3 words would you use to describe Future Health Biobank?
[Jo Studholme; Customer]
Friendly, approachable and very-knowledgeable.
[Fiona Smith; Customer]
Definitely professional, caring and friendly. And knowledgeable, I’ll add another one!
www.futurehealthbiobank.co.uk
