The bank is the only one in Sweden and one of 49 worldwide. It collects and stores umbilical cord blood, which is rich in stem cells. It can be donated to seriously ill children.
"It can absolutely save lives. It can be used for newborn children with immunodeficiency diseases who need a transplant before the age of three months. Then we have umbilical cord blood saved so that we can quickly activate a transplant," says Cecilia Langenskiöld at Östra Hospital to TV4.
The blood is collected after the baby is born and the umbilical cord is cut, then placed in a freezer to await matching.
