Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Magic cells: babies who save lives

Magic cells: babies who save lives | Life and style | The Guardian: It is mid-morning in the delivery suite at King's College hospital in London, and midwife Terie Duffy is cooing over the contents of a stainless-steel bowl. "Isn't it beautiful?" she says. "This is what makes my job worthwhile … the opportunity to give the chance of life."

But the object of her attention is not a baby. It is a placenta, which was, until about five minutes ago, attached to 4.1kg (9lb) Princess Gracie, who is crying lustily in the birthing room next door with her mum Charlotte Cribben and dad Andre Kum. "It has done its job for Princess Gracie," explains Duffy. "And now the precious stem cells it contains could cure another child or adult of leukaemia or another blood disease."

'via Blog this'

No comments:

Post a Comment