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Girl's Own Cord Blood Helps Improve Her Condition

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Nov 16, 2009 5:49 pm US/Mountain

Girl's Own Cord Blood Helps Improve Her Condition

Written by Health Specialist Kathy Walsh

HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. (CBS4) ― Three-year-old Chloe Levine of Highlands Ranch concentrates on stringing wooden beads and fits right in with her preschool class.

"Life's normal," said her mother, Jenny Levine.

That's amazing because Chloe was born with cerebral palsy, paralysis on her right side. At 9 months, she couldn't hold a bottle with her right hand. It was always in a tight fist. Chloe would drag her right leg and scoot rather than crawl. But for the last 18 months Chloe has been showing remarkable improvement. She runs, jumps and plays. Her parents credit her own umbilical cord blood.

When Chloe was born, Jenny and Ryan Levine paid about $2,100 to bank her umbilical cord blood, storing it with a private company.

When Chloe was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, the Levine's learned doctors at Duke University were experimenting with cord blood, infusing children with cerebral palsy with their own stem cells to possibly heal and repair damaged brain tissue.
Chloe had the experimental procedure in May of 2008. Two days later her parents say she started saying words like "Coco", her nickname. When CBS4's Kathy Walsh first met Chloe in fall of 2008, she was talking and climbing her backyard swing set using both hands. Her parents say she just continues to improve.

Recently her father, Ryan, told Walsh "she continues to blow us away." Walsh got to witness one of those moments. In the playground at day care, Chloe hopped on a tricycle and took off.

"Oh my gosh, Chloe, that makes Mommy so happy," said a delighted Jenny.

It was the first time Chloe's parents had seen her ride without her shoes being strapped to the pedals.

Jenny Levine credits the cord blood.

"Thank God we had it. It ultimately was the only treatment option for her," she said. "She's happy, she's healthy and you know, life is perfect."

The Levine's stored Chloe's cord blood with a company called Cord Blood Registry. It is the largest cord blood bank in the world.

The company reports 68 of its clients have been involved in the experimental treatment at Duke University and all of them report some improvement.

Storing cord blood costs about $2,100 for the collection and $125 a year for storage.

Some parents donate their baby's cord blood to a free public bank for the use of others to treat disease.

There is a public bank at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Additional Resources: 

Cord Blood Banking with CBR

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