What Smart Cells Parents say 

From parents:

"Once my husband and I looked into stem cells, it wasn't something to be wrestled with, it was clear what we should do. Like any form of insurance I hope it will never be needed. But if I have a second child, I will do the same thing again."
Dr. Deirdre Godfray, a Smart Cells'  parent and GP in Swindon, Wiltshire

"We decided to do it as a sort of insurance against future disease such as leukaemia and other cancers. There is no family history of such illness, but we wanted to be safe. The lives of thousands of children worldwide have already been saved using stem cell transplants."
Emma Wilkins, London Evening Standard

"I think it is essential to do everything you can to protect your children. Storing umbilical cord blood stem cells is a wonderful way of doing that. My consultant recommended Smart Cells when I was pregnant and after my husband did some of our own research, we realised that it would be a waste not to store. We have a sense of security and a feeling of confidence knowing that our baby's stem cells are readily available if we ever need them. No one knows what the future holds, and we hope our children will be safe and healthy all their lives."
Darcy Bussell

From medical professionals:

"Stem cells are the progenitors of all other cells in our bodies. They develop into blood, bone, brain and other cells. That is why they are so important. If a child or adolescent gets a disorder, for example leukaemia, their stem cells will give us the means to replenish their bodies with healthy blood and save their lives."
Derek Tufnell, gynaecologist and obstetrician

"If I was offered the chance to have my bone marrow stem cells stored, there could be no possible disadvantage as it might possibly save my life, if I got leukaemia for example."
Professor John Martin, cardiologist and chief scientist at the British Heart Foundation, University College London
 
"Umbilical cord stem cells are being used to treat various leukaemias and related blood diseases. There are also studies underway using transformed umbilical cord stem cells to treat heart attacks. There are many public sector labs working on the basic properties of stem cells which will result in the technology being applied to many of the world's common diseases."
Dr. Peter Hollands, embryologist and stem cell scientist, Cambridge