Twenty-four Cord Blood Registry employees will be taking to the pavement, dirt, and trails of Arizona—competing in the 202-mile Ragnar del Sol relay race. But they won’t be running just to get from Point A (Wickenburg, AZ) to Point B (Tempe, AZ). They will be running to raise money in support of the Newborn Possibilities Fund (NPF). 

 The Newborn Possibilities Fund was created to help advance clinical research investigating the use of a child’s own cord blood stem cells as a treatment for conditions like cerebral palsy and traumatic brain injury. The NPF directs financial grants to non-profit organizations to help cover travel costs for families who have the chance to participate in FDA-regulated trials. A growing body of published data suggests that a child’s own cord blood stem cells may play an important role in helping the body repair damage to nerve and brain tissue. Preliminary research has shown that cord blood stem cells have the ability to migrate to the site of injury and to organs important in immune modulation to help trigger the body’s own immune response system to stimulate repair and recovery. There are currently two FDA-regulated trials enrolling patients to evaluate the use of a child’s own cord blood stem cells in the treatment of cerebral palsy and traumatic brain injury. To ensure quality and consistency of the stem cells used, Cord Blood Registry is the only cord blood bank to participate in these trials.

So, as twenty-four CBR employees put one foot in front of the other (some faster than others), traversing the Arizona desert, they’ll be doing such to support this excellent cause. Last year the CBR Ragnar team had twelve participants and raised more than $10,000. This year, with double the participants, they look to improve upon that already impressive fundraising effort, and need your help.

To join the fundraising effort and to learn more about this great cause, visit the Newborn Possibilities website. You can keep up to date with the CBR relay team (the race starts Feb 25) on CBR’s FaceBook page.