Edmonton Cord Blood Donation

Are you planning on delivering your baby at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton? They are 1 of 4 locations across Canada that accepts cord blood donations!

Donating cord blood is free, easy and poses ZERO risk to the mother or baby.

The blood left in your baby’s umbilical cord and placenta is rich in lifesaving blood stem cells, yet most of it is discarded as medical waste.. By donating your baby’s cord blood, you can save a life. Cord blood can treat OVER 80 diseases and disorders, including leukemia. Fewer than 25% of patients find a matching donor within their own family, and the other 75% must rely on unrelated donors to save their lives. 

Did you know that around 50% of cord blood recipients are children under the age of 4?

Here’s how it works: 

• Become informed. Visit our website and talk to your doctor, midwife or nurse. 
• Confirm your eligibility with this simple screen.
• Register online. You will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your signed consent form.  
• On your day of delivery, remember to inform hospital staff of your wish to donate and add it to your birth plan. 
• Cord Blood Bank staff will not be present in the delivery room, so your nurse will bring the placenta to the collections team outside of the delivery room.  It will then be collected by a qualified Canadian Blood Services’ professional.
• Once the collection is completed, your placenta will be returned to the hospital. NO blood is taken from your baby!
• Your baby’s cord blood will be frozen and stored indefinitely, and as an added spark of joy.. you will be notified once it is used!

Tristan’s Story

Becoming a parent is a life-changing moment full of promise, joy and a natural share of anxiety. For parents of a sick child, those worries are more intense – especially if that child needs a stem cell transplant to survive. That was what mother Manny Ford and her family had to face when their little Tristan was diagnosed with a rare disease. Finding a cord blood match was the miracle the family had been waiting for. Your baby’s first gift could be a gift of life for a patient like Tristan. Watch Tristan’s story here.

Still have questions? Watch this video to learn more, or call Canadian Blood Services at 1-888-2-DONATE.

Content provided by Canadian Blood Services, adapted for blog by Suzi Buhiire.