OPEN DOORS
SNYDER ORGANIZES STEM CELL CELEBRATION AT THREE SISTERS
Stem cells save lives…open the door to hope.
That is the message advocates promoting the collection of umbilical
cord blood-nature’s richest source of stem cells, seek
to convey at a
Stem Cell Celebration from 5-9:30 pm, Saturday, February 28th
at Three Sisters Park near Chillicothe, IL.
“Stem cells are saving thousands of lives today and are
opening the door to hope through research,” said Joan
Blessington Snyder, who serves on the national board of People
Living With Parkinson’s and is organizing the event with
State Representative David R. Leitch (R-Peoria). Scientists
need stem cells to find cures for Parkinson’s, Alzeheimer’s,
breast cancer, diabetes, stroke and many others.
“Our goal is to make the collection of umbilical cord
blood a routine part of child birth,” she said.
Program:
5 - Social Hour
Appetizers by Connie Randall, owner of “A Matter of Taste”
Music provided by Mitch Leichelt & Friends
Tale told by storyteller Brian “Fox” Ellis
6:20 -Comments by Master of Ceremonies-Gina Morss from
WEEK-TV 25
6:25 -Welcome-State Representative David Leitch
6:30 -Invocation-Joan Blessington Snyder
6:35 –Buffet Dinner by Betty Sue’s Catering of
Henry, IL
7:15 –Master of Ceremonies –Gina Morss
• Kay Savings, M.D.-Medical Director-Children’s
Hospital of
Illinois
• Peggy Mankin-Health Research Specialist-U of I College
of
Medicine
• Joan Blessington Snyder & Mitch Leichelt-Parkinson’s
Advocates
• State Representative David Leitch-Concluding Remarks
7:45 –Dessert prepared by Chef Ray Barscht
8:00 –Entertainment by the John Price Trio
CELEBRATING LIFESAVING CORD BLOOD STEM CELLS:
BY KAREN DANNER
In a sea of name tags which read like the Who’s Who of
the political and medical arenas, sits Chillicothean Joan Blessington
Snyder.
Surrounded by people wielding so much influence, as well as
an array of family and friends, Snyder slowly makes her way
to the microphone to address the crowd gathered to open the
door to hope celebrating cord blood donations.
With her sister, Gina Harris, lending support, Snyder’s
haltering voice brings the room to a sudden silence as her words
of thanks extend to everyone.
“You all fill my heart with hope, not for my generation,
but for my children’s generation,” said Snyder as
her words drifted to tears.
Once again, Snyder, a self-made activist for Parkinson’s
disease realized another of her many dreams-a celebration dinner
about cord blood donation, the richest source of stem cells
to save lives.
Stars of the show
Through the determination and effort of many people, the word
is spreading about the value of donating cord blood.
In January, a new law, House Bill 1834, took effect, making
Illinois the first state to make mandatory doctor’s offering
their pregnant patients the opportunity to donate their umbilical
cord blood, which contains lifesaving stem cells.
Stem cells research will aid scientists in finding cures not
only for Parkinson’s but also breast cancer, stroke, diabetes,
Alzheimer’s and more.
According to Cryobanks International of Orlando, FL, a collector
of cord blood, after a baby is born and the umbilical cord is
clamped and separated from the baby, blood is drawn from the
cord after the placenta is delivered.
Once collected, the sample goes to Cryobanks, where it is processed
and stored in liquid nitrogen indefinitely.
Not only is cord blood collection painless, it also is not as
controversial and is non-invasive unlike bone marrow retrieval.
Dr. Kay Savings, medical director at the Children’s Hospital
or Illinois, told the crowd the stem cells which are located
inside bone marrow also exist in cord blood.
Savings said that the first cord blood transplant was done in
the late 1980’s in Paris.
She said that cord blood donation is less expensive than bone
marrow, can be frozen, stored, and remain readily available
for immediate transplant, has less chance of rejection and causes
no harm to the recipient.
Visiting central Illinois once again, Texan Mitch Leichelt,
brought his musical talent, with the help of several Texas artists,
as a fundraiser for finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease.
A fellow ‘parkie,’ Leichelt , who met Snyder in
a chatroom on the internet, said the evening represented “a
coming together to change the way we deal with diseases. We’re
tired of being sick.
Rep. Dave Leitch (R-Peoria) who sponsored HB 1834, spoke of
the diversity of people who all share a concern about others
and trying to help. “Think about the potential we have
together,” said Leitch. “People across the world
will benefit from lifesaving cord blood donations.”
Master of Ceremonies Gina Morss of News 25-WEEK-TV put her feelings
about cord blood donations in simple words.
“It’s a no-brainer and it’s not controversial,”
concluded Morss.
