It's Always Time to Talk Cord Blood
For Sherri, it's always a good time to talk cord blood banking
Sherri Mirando is a friendly, social person. It's not uncommon for her to strike up conversations with others, making new friends (sometimes to the dismay of her husband!) everywhere from the playground to Target and even Disney World.
Perhaps part of her social nature comes from the fact that Sherri likes to be in the know, whether it's to learn about places to bring the kids, where the best deals are or how to avoid the lines at Disney. Being in the know keeps her organized and in control, the keys she credits with keeping her busy family running smoothly every day.
Seeing the light leads to a second chance
In 1999, as Sherri sat waiting in her OB/GYN's office for a prenatal checkup, she saw a brochure that made her want to know more. It was on cord blood banking. It had taken Sherri seven years to get pregnant, "and I was so grateful that I was about to be a mom, I wanted to give my child the best chances that I could."
So when she asked her doctor about cord blood banking, he said, "Do you really want to jinx yourself?" She admits, "I was paranoid. It had taken me so long to get pregnant, so I threw the brochure away right in his office." Only a few months later, Sherri and her husband welcomed a brand new baby boy, Michael, into their family.
When Sherri was expecting again in 2002, she prepared herself to have a more informed conversation on cord blood banking with her OB. "I had a clear vision that I never wanted to be a parent searching the country for donor stem cells for my child. I understood what was within my children's bodies, and through cord blood banking, I could get it."
Sherri was ready to share her vision with her doctor, but he beat her to the punch, "Make sure you bank your baby's cord blood," he had said. It turns out that the OB had direct experience collecting cord blood from a baby to treat a sibling with leukemia, and "he had seen the light."
Sherri was thrilled when she banked her newborn daughter Sophia's cord blood, not only because it could potentially provide a life-saving treatment for Sophia, but it could also provide protection for her son, Michael. "I would have banked for both children, knowing what I know now, but the good news is that Michael does have access to his sister's cord blood," she admits.
On a mission to help others see the light
Because of her experience with her own OB/GYN, Sherri is now on a mission to help other parents get it too. She believes OB/GYNs have so many pressures in their own unique specialty that they don't always have the time they need to be fully educated themselves, or to fully educate expecting parents on the benefits of cord blood banking.
"That's why I'm a Parent Educator for ViaCord. I love sharing my story because I am truly grateful that I have my daughter's cord blood banked—for her and for my family. This is my chance to talk to other moms and dads and get the word out. I think it's simply an education process."
Sherri has learned that part of the education process is about financing. "I'm surprised that many people still think the initial cost to collect and bank cord blood is like $20,000. I let them know it's not, it's attainable and parents just need to be educated. I love to talk about one program that wasn't even offered by ViaCord when I banked—the gift registry. It's a program where you can invite your friends and family to help pay for the service. I think, wow, I could have had cord blood banking given as a gift from loved ones!"
Sherri hopes she is helping other parents make the right choices for their families. She is confident that all her friendly conversations about cord blood banking will make a difference. "I truly believe I'm saving lives. I guarantee someone will bank their cord blood because of me, who is going to need it someday. What's better than that?"