I thank my good friend Mr. Guthrie for yielding and for his support on this important legislation. Mr. Speaker, Maalik was diagnosed with Hurler syndrome at 15 months old, a rare and life-threatening metabolic disorder. He had a curved spine, and he could not walk. After receiving an umbilical cord blood transplant facilitated through the Carolinas Cord Blood Bank, Maalik is running around and is expected to have a normal lifespan. His mother, Krystal, said: ``My son is extremely happy now. He is energetic and more independent. The transplant saved his life.'' In like manner, bone marrow donations provide lifesaving transplants for a myriad of diseases. Clara was only 4 months old when she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. John had registered with the National Marrow Donor Program Be The Match as a bone marrow donor when Clara was only 17 days old. It turned out it was a perfect match for Clara. John's donation saved Clara's life. She is now thriving at 2 years of age. Mr. Speaker, not only has God in His wisdom and goodness created a placenta and an umbilical cord to nurture and protect the precious life of an unborn child, but now, we find He has left a great gift behind. Immediately after birth, something very special is left behind, cord blood that is teeming with lifesaving stem cells.…
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