One of our reporters, Ella Smith, who moved to Lewisham to study at Goldsmiths, has been working on Eastlondonlines since the beginning of this year. In this blog, she shares her experience advocating for funding in Washington DC with her mother, who donated her umbilical to save lives exactly 20 years ago.

In the whirlwind of emotions and decisions that came with childbirth, Carrie Smith had a plan tucked away: to donate her newborn daughter’s umbilical cord. Little did she know, over a decade later, that selfless act would save a man’s life.

In 2004, Smith decided to donate her umbilical cord through Be The Match, an organisation dedicated to matching donors with those in need of life-saving transplants.

“I just figured it was a good thing to do,” Carrie explains, “if you could help somebody, why wouldn’t you do that?”

However, after donating, Smith didn’t hear anything about it for ten years.

She assumed they hadn’t found a match until she received a call one day in 2014 from Be The Match informing her that her donation had indeed been a match for a 50-something-year-old man battling leukaemia.

My experience 

When my mother received this call, I remember feeling curiosity mixed with apprehension. As she sat me down, her face was a mixture of excitement and seriousness; with each detail she shared about what she had done with my umbilical cord, I felt a rush of pride in her creativity and dedication to the cause.

The prospect of going to Washington DC stirred a whirlwind of emotions within me – excitement for the opportunity to make a difference, nervousness about speaking to representatives, and gratitude for the chance to raise awareness for Be The Match.

As we were flown out by the organisation, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of responsibility settling over me, knowing that we were entrusted with the important task of sharing our story with legislators from across the country.

While in DC, we discussed the mission of Be The Match and stressed the significance of their life-saving efforts to various representatives from Michigan and beyond.

I felt determined and nervous speaking to such important people while my mother said that we had to be very focused during our discussions given our limited time with each representative.

Despite the challenges and the pressure, there was a sense of relief and satisfaction as we were met with positivity and gratitude.

It was validating to see the impact of our advocacy efforts firsthand. “Everyone took the information very positively,” Smith said, “many of them were grateful that we had brought this to their attention.”

At that moment, I couldn’t help but feel a swell of hope and determination, knowing that our voices were being heard and that we were making a difference, however small it may seem.

Because we were there with this organisation, we experienced things that most don’t get to, such as the Capitol subway system, which connects the different congressional office buildings underground. We also personally gave each representative a book on Be The Match with information on all the life-saving work they were doing. 

One vivid memory I have is when my mom and I got lost on the subway in DC. After a tiring day, all we wanted was to return to our hotel and unwind. However, my mom struggled with understanding the subway system and being only nine years old, I couldn’t provide much help either. We rode train after train only to end up back at the same place until eventually we were standing in front of a giant subway map staring at it in shock with our jaws dropped.

Reflecting on this experience a decade later, I am finally starting to grasp the true significance of what we accomplished. At just nine years old, I had the remarkable opportunity to engage with influential government officials and passionately advocate for a cause close to my heart. Despite my young age, my dedication and concern for the cause were profound then and still are to this day.

The aftermath

After reflecting on their experience, Smith feels a sense of achievement. “Spreading awareness about it was rewarding and hopefully, we can secure some government funding for it too.”

Smith found the decision to donate her umbilical cord straightforward: “It’s free, painless,” she stresses, “otherwise, it would be discarded, so why not donate? Plus, there’s the chance to potentially save a life.”

Regrettably, I wasn’t old enough to meet the man whose life we saved, which leaves me with mixed emotions. I wish I could have met him and understood how our actions impacted him.

Nonetheless, despite this missed connection, we did have the opportunity to meet numerous other parents and their children who had generously donated their umbilical cords as well.

Interacting with these families filled me with a profound sense of solidarity and purpose, knowing that our collective efforts had made a tangible difference in the lives of others.

Upon researching umbilical cord donation in the UK, I discovered that Anthony Nolan is the sole charity facilitating this process. However, DKMS actively encourages individuals to register for the Stem Cell Registry.

For those interested in getting involved or learning more, Be The Match welcomes visitors to their website at bethematch.org, offering hope to the thousands of individuals diagnosed with life-threatening blood cancers each year.