And check out H.R. 596. Now this is something we can all get behind! H.R. 596 is the Cord Blood Stem Cell Act of 2005, which establishes a cord blood registry (like the blood banks!) to prepare, store and distribute cord blood cells for patients use and research. Since cord blood stem cell therapies are already helping patients, like those with sickle cell disease for example, it makes sense to establish a registry for collecting, storing and disseminating this resource which is typically just thrown away. Sounds like a win – win option without any of the ethical compromise!

Author Profile

Jennifer Lahl, CBC President
Jennifer Lahl, CBC President
Jennifer Lahl, MA, BSN, RN, is founder and president of The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network. Lahl couples her 25 years of experience as a pediatric critical care nurse, a hospital administrator, and a senior-level nursing manager with a deep passion to speak for those who have no voice. Lahl’s writings have appeared in various publications including Cambridge University Press, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Dallas Morning News, and the American Journal of Bioethics. As a field expert, she is routinely interviewed on radio and television including ABC, CBS, PBS, and NPR. She is also called upon to speak alongside lawmakers and members of the scientific community, even being invited to speak to members of the European Parliament in Brussels to address issues of egg trafficking; she has three times addressed the United Nations during the Commission on the Status of Women on egg and womb trafficking.