Turning Medical Waste into Medical Miracles: Congress Asked to Continue Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Bank

Congress is being asked to give more than $20 million to continue funding a program to harvest life-saving stem cells from umbilical cords. 

Scientists discovered the cord that attaches an unborn child to its mother is teeming with a special kind of cell that can help cure over 70 diseases.  

Usually, the umbilical cords are thrown away after a mother gives birth.  

Now, however, women are being asked to give their umbilical cords to the federally funded National Cord Blood Inventory to be used by people all over the country who may need it.  It is the world's largest donor registry with more than 23 million volunteers. 

ABOVE: CBN News Medical Reporter Lorie Johnson appeared on the Thursday edition of CBN's Newswatch to talk about this fascinating development. Newswatch is seen weekdays on the CBN News Channel.