Did You Hear?

Mia Hamm and ViaCord team up to spread awareness for cord blood

She may perhaps be the ultimate soccer mom. Mia Hamm became a household name during the 1990s when she led the U.S. Women's National Team on a "Cinderella story" ride to the top of women's world soccer, a ride that culminated in capturing the gold medal and the hearts of America in a stunning victory over China during the 1996 Olympics. And while Mia is an international icon for women in sports, inspiration to a generation of soccer players, and one of the greatest living soccer players (as chosen by international soccer star Pelé), it turns out she's a lot like the rest of us when it comes to motherhood.

Mia recently shared that while pregnant with twins, "You have these hopes and dreams for your children. And you also have these doubts and fears. You're constantly asking yourself 'what can I do to protect my child?'"

To help confront her fears, Mia did what came natural to her: she went on the offensive. Mia's strategy was driven in part by watching her brother, Garrett, succumb to complications brought on from his long battle with aplastic anemia, a blood disease that is now commonly treated with a cord blood stem cell transplant. The more Mia learned about the protective power and promise of cord blood stem cells, the more she believed that cord blood banking was the right decision for her family -- and it was a decision that gave her "peace of mind." So when Mia's twins were born in March 2007, Mia chose ViaCord as her cord blood company. She believes ViaCord was also the right decision for her family because, in addition to storing cord blood, ViaCord is also involved in advancing the uses of cord blood to treat life-threatening diseases.

Mia is committed to helping others learn about the protective value of cord blood stem cells. A driving force behind her efforts is her charitable foundation the Mia Hamm Foundation. Inspired by her brother Garrett, the Mia Hamm Foundation raises funds and awareness for families needing marrow or cord blood transplants. Together, ViaCord and the Mia Hamm Foundation have teamed up to raise awareness regarding the power of cord blood. To learn more watch Mia's video.

ViaCord Voices | Meet Mike

Mike Farnum, Manager of a Clinical Consultant team at ViaCord, recently completed the following statements, giving us a glimpse into his experience at ViaCord...

I love...
when I speak with a family who is just learning about cord blood banking for the first time. You can sense their amazement when they learn about current lifesaving treatments and the tremendous future potential of cord blood stem cells. It reminds me of how important it is to ensure that every expecting family has the opportunity to make an informed decision about banking their child's stem cells.
It's challenging to...
stay current on all of the advancements being made in stem cell therapy. It seems that every day brings new breakthroughs that were once thought to be many years away.
I'm excited by...
the fact that we are just scratching the surface in terms of the potential that cord blood stem cells hold for the future of medicine. I am truly excited to think that one day we may use stem cells to repair our bodies and cure diseases, instead of taking medicine to stabilize a disease state.
I can't believe...
how much awareness has increased for cord blood banking. When I started working for ViaCord five years ago, most expecting parents did not know what a stem cell was, and it was rare that a mom-to-be would have discussed cord blood banking with her obstetrician. Today, that has all changed. People are far more educated about stem cells in general and so many expecting families discuss cord blood banking with their doctor prior to birth.