Bloodworks Northwest Cord Blood Program

Bloodworks Northwest is home to the first and only public cord blood bank in the Pacific Northwest. Our Cord Blood Donation Program has proudly banked over 14,000 cord blood donations available for transplant and sent out 1,200 units to patients in need. Patients saved by stem cell transplants include those with: Leukemia, Lymphoma, Sickle Cell Disease, Bone Marrow Failure, and Immune Deficiency Disorders.

Bloodworks Northwest Cord Blood Program

Bloodworks Northwest is home to the first and only public cord blood bank in the Pacific Northwest. Our Cord Blood Donation Program has proudly banked over 14,000 cord blood donations available for transplant and sent out 1,200 units to patients in need. Patients saved by stem cell transplants include those with: Leukemia, Lymphoma, Sickle Cell Disease, Bone Marrow Failure, and Immune Deficiency Disorders.

Cord Blood Donation

Cord blood collection is a completely painless procedure that does not interfere with the birth or with parent-and-child bonding following the delivery.
There is no risk to either the parent or baby.

It’s completely safe

There is no risk to the birth parent or the baby.

You are in control

The choice is made before delivery and a consent form must be completed.

Donation is confidential

No donor identifiers are shared outside of the program.

No cost for donating

The donation is completely free of charge to you.

It’s non-invasive

You may not even notice the collection taking place!

Cord Blood Donation

Cord blood collection is a completely painless procedure that does not interfere
with the birth or with parent-and-child bonding following the delivery. There is no risk to either the parent or baby.

It’s completely safe

There is no risk to the birth parent
or the baby.

You are in control

The choice is made before delivery and
a consent form must be completed.

Donation is confidential

No donor identifiers are shared
outside of the program.

No cost for donating

The donation is completely free
of charge to you.

It’s non-invasive

You may not even notice
the collection taking place!

About the Program

Our Cord Blood Donation Program operates within Bloodworks Northwest, an independent, community-based nonprofit organization with a tradition blending volunteerism, medical science, and research to advance transfusion medicine and improve patient care. The Cord Blood Donation Program uses all-volunteer collectors from delivery room teams who are trained by our staff. Program staff educate expectant families and community members about the importance of donation, gather collected cord blood, screen donors, test blood for infectious diseases, process the cord blood to obtain a high concentration of stem cells, store the cord blood, and distribute it to patients for transplantation.

Participating Hospitals

Stay in Touch

baby

Cord Blood Saves Lives

Sosa is eternally grateful to the moms who donated.

“When I was little, there was no cure for sickle cell. I didn’t know if I’d live to be 18.”

Cord blood saved Alexes’
life.

Alexes was diagnosed with leukemia and did not have a bone marrow match.

From nurse to mom to donor: Diana’s story.

“To be potentially able to help another person was something I just couldn’t pass up.”

Cord Blood Saves Lives

Sosa is eternally grateful to the moms who donated.

“When I was little, there was no cure for sickle cell. I didn’t know if I’d live to be 18.”

Cord blood saved
Alexes’ life.

Alexes was diagnosed with leukemia and did not have a bone marrow match.

From nurse to mom to donor: Diana’s story.

“To be potentially able to help
another person was something I just couldn’t pass up.”

Information for Expectant Parents

Information for
Expectant Parents

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is cord blood donation?

Cord blood donation is when blood from a clamped and cut cord is collected by a physician and saved for potential stem cell transplant, instead of being thrown away.

How do I become a cord blood donor?

  • Review the donor eligibility requirements
  • See if your hospital is a participating collection site
  • If your hospital is a participating collection site, let the labor and delivery team know you are donating the umbilical cord to the public cord blood bank through Bloodworks Cord Blood Donation Program. You will need to sign a consent form.
  • Please note: Either before the birth of your baby or after, you will be asked for a blood sample to be tested for infectious diseases. This blood is taken only from you, not your baby.

Am I eligible?

These are our eligibility criteria:

  • Expecting one baby (not twins or multiples).
  • Be 18 years or older.
  • A full-term pregnancy at time of delivery (37 weeks of gestation).
  • Have no history of any blood disorders or cancer. The baby’s other immediate family (non-birth parent and siblings) must meet this requirement as well.

Why is diversity so important?

Because of the low numbers of registered bone marrow donors of color and their genetic diversity, non-Caucasian ethnic groups have lower likelihood of finding a match. For instance, African American patients have a 29% chance of finding a match. Cord blood transplantation offers a solution for people who do not have a bone marrow match.

Can I donate if I’m doing delayed cord clamping?

Yes!  When following the ACOG recommendations for cord clamping, your provider can still collect the umbilical cord for subsequent cord blood donation.

How is cord blood collected?

After delivery the umbilical cord, ready to be discarded, is drained of the blood and stem cells. This collection is performed by a trained cord blood collector using a needle and collection bag similar to blood collection.

Where can I donate?

Can my family have the cord back if we need it?

  • The NMDP (formerly Be The Match) registry is open to anyone searching for a transplant. If the donation has not already been used and your family needs it, then it may be selected.
  • However, this question is not a simple one to answer. With public banking, we have rigorous standards to ensure that the cord blood donation is an effective treatment for patients with diseases such as leukemia and sickle-cell anemia. Of the cord blood donations we receive, only about 20% are eligible for banking, with the majority just too low of volume to have enough active and healthy cells to be effective.
  • We don’t want to waste any donations we receive, and many times we can use those ineligible cord blood donations for research. Without research, we wouldn’t have discovered the currently used treatments!
  • Another point to consider is that many of the diseases and disorders cord blood is currently used to treat are genetic, so the baby’s cord blood would have the same genetic information and risk of containing (which is why we’re unable to bank donations from immediate family members with blood cancers, for example).
  • The only way to ensure your family will have access to umbilical cord blood after your baby is born would be to privately save it. With private banking, they preserve any amount of cord blood collected.

What happens to my cord blood if I don’t donate it?

If cord blood is not collected, it is discarded as medical waste. Families can also pay for private cord blood storage.

I have another question!

Contact a donation coordinator for any additional questions.

Every 3-4 minutes, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with a blood cancer like leukemia or lymphoma. It can happen to anyone, at any time. But so can a cure. NMDP connects patients with a matching donor for a life-saving blood stem cell transplant. You can help.
Learn More >

Cord Blood

Every 3-4 minutes, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with a blood cancer like leukemia or lymphoma. It can happen to anyone, at any time. But so can a cure. NMDP connects patients with a matching donor for a life-saving blood stem cell transplant. You can help.
Learn More >

Cord Blood