[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 22 (Thursday, February 26, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E254]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNIZING COMMUNITY BLOOD SERVICES

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT GARRETT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 26, 2004

  Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring both 
attention and admiration to a program that truly has had lifesaving 
results.
  The Community Blood Services, located in Paramus, NJ, within my fifth 
Congressional District, has working partnerships with many hospitals in 
the New York metropolitan area to supply cord blood. This cord blood is 
used in the treatment of leukemia, breast cancer, lymphoma, Hodgkin's 
Disease, Aplastic Anemia, various other cancers, blood diseases, 
hereditary/genetic conditions and immune system disorders.
  The Elie Katz Umbilical Cord Blood Program at Community Blood 
Services recently and generously announced it will donate one of its 
umbilical cord units to St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in 
Paterson, NJ, to assist an uninsured patient in need of a lifesaving 
transplant.
  The patient is suffering from Burkitt's Lymphoma, a non-Hodgkin's 
disease which is rare in most of the world, but is the most common 
childhood cancer in Central Africa.
  The Elie Katz Umbilical Cord Blood Program was inaugurated in 1997. 
Since then, it has accepted more than 1600 donated cord blood units. To 
date, 24 of those units have been used for transplants in children 
throughout the world. The unit being donated to St. Joseph's will be 
the twenty-fifth.
  Stem cells obtained from placentas and umbilical cords, have been 
proven to successfully aid in the treatment of many life-threatening 
diseases. Researchers have found that umbilical cords especially are a 
rich source of stem cells. This discovery could make the use of 
embryonic stem cells unnecessary. The cells are easily attainable and 
can be expanded in vitro, maintained in culture, and induced to 
differentiate into neural cells. They are a potential source of 
multipotent stem cells that may serve many therapeutic and 
biotechnological roles.
  In order to identify possible genetic diseases or past illnesses that 
could jeopardize the patient, when collecting donated cord blood there 
is a wide-ranging parental history considered. Once the parents agree 
to the donation, a technician working closely with the delivery team 
collects the residual blood from the umbilical cord after it has been 
detached from the baby, ensuring no risk to the mother or child. The 
cord blood unit is then transferred to the processing laboratory at 
Community Blood Services, where the red blood cells are removed and the 
remaining stem cells are frozen in liquid nitrogen for long-term 
storage.
  Let me close by portraying just how proud I am that such a worthwhile 
organization is located within my community. It is an honor for me 
today to bring attention to Community Blood Services on the floor of 
the House. We thank you for everything that you do.

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