A Pineville, Missouri mother is spreading the word about cord blood banking and how it saved the life of her child. Tonya Morris is spending quality time with her daughters Sunshine and 5-year-old Sparrow. These special moments are especially important for Sparrow. In 2008, at 1 year old she was found face down in the family’s swimming pool. She didn’t have a pulse or oxygen for 45 minutes causing severe brain damage that put her in a vegetative state. A year later Sparrow who was the 5th of the Morris’ 8 children received a reinfusion of her own cord blood. She was the first in the family to have it stored and the results were astonishing. Tonya shared her story with the Missouri Nurses Conference at the Lambert Marriott to speak out about how the stem cell clinical trial procedure at Duke University saved her daughter’s life. She says the $3,000 she spent on storage was priceless. Now this family can look forward to many years of happiness and joy with a feisty little girl who beat the odds. Source
