By Marty Hubbard at Anja Health

It all began in college while on a 19-mile run. I was an avid long-distance runner, and deep into my training I began to feel pain in my right knee. Over several months that pain grew to be a daily problem which hindered me from participating in the sport I loved. It became apparent that no amount of ice or stretching was going to remove this obstacle.

In the following years, I have tried a wide array of diagnostics and treatments, including MRIs, physical therapy, acupuncture, hyaluronic acid, and Cortisone injections. Nothing was ever as effective as utilizing mesenchymal stem cells.

In June of 2021, I had stem cells extracted from the bone marrow in my pelvis, but it was an extremely arduous and painful process. At the time, I wished that I had stem cells banked from my own birth.

Stem cells can be extremely effective in repairing tissue, muscle, and bone damage, so physicians injected my bone marrow stem cells into my IT band, which was believed to be causing the pain.  Now writing this article 4 months later, I am in the best running shape since before the injury in 2016.  Stem cells gave me a new chance at continuing my passion for running.

But, I would not have had to undergo bone marrow extraction if umbilical cord blood banking was common place when I was born.  I could have painlessly undergone a stem cell transplant, and it would not have been nearly as expensive.  So, I’m now on a mission with Anja Health to convey to pregnant parents the importance of stem cell banking and how it could potentially help even young, healthy people like myself.

Anja offers umbilical cord blood, cord tissue, and placenta banking – all of which give parents the opportunity to preserve their child’s stem cells for future use.

Umbilical cord blood is rich with hematopoietic stem cells, which are the origin for cells in the blood, including red blood cells and white blood cells.  These stem cells are FDA-approved to treat 85+ conditions, including cancer, autoimmune disorders, and Leukemia.  There are also numerous clinical trials and studies looking at other use cases, including ulcerative colitis, PCOS, and more.

Umbilical cord tissue (in other words, the cord itself), is rich with mesenchymal stem cells, which are the origin for bones, cartilage, and muscle.  These are the types of cells that saved my knee.  They are being looked at in clinical trials to treat many organ- and tissue-related issues, such as diabetes, liver disease, lung cancer, and sports injuries as mentioned.

The placenta is rich with amniotic epithelial cells, which are being tested in clinical trials, but are currently being used to treat eye conditions and wounds. They can also potentially help the mom in the future.

The best part about banking stem cells is that they can be used for other family members.  Umbilical cord blood stem cells are a 50% match for parents and 75% match for siblings.

The plentiful possibilities that lie ahead with stem cell research are extremely promising.  Stem cells could potentially even be used as an anti-aging treatment, and studies examining stem cell use cases progress every day.  Stem cells have also been used by super stars, including Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, Peyton Manning, Rafael Nadal, Christiano Ronaldo, etc. I encourage those interested in stem cell therapy to read more at Healthline.

On a more personal note, I have always been involved in the music industry as well, and similar to how I love to discover artists in their early days and watch them grow, I try to convey to parents that banking stem cells is them getting in early on science that is only going to advance and become more promising.  So, I urge anyone who is pregnant to bank with Anja.  We are the most contemporary, personable, and accessible company in the industry.  Whichever communication method you prefer the most, we’ll meet you there. Whatever level of guidance you’re looking for, we’ll prioritize it.  Bank with Anja.

Check out our BECOMING A Mother course! It’s a self-paced, online series to help reduce fear and gain confidence in pregnancy, birth, and early parenting. With recorded video lessons, monthly live chats, and a supportive FaceBook community – it’s everything we wish we would have known before we had our babies! We’d love to see you there!

Kristin & Alyssa