Story perspectives

Milestone Achieved: 1,000th Umbilical Cord Blood Unit Donated

1/10/2026

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Summary

Story summary

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) issued its 1,000th umbilical cord blood unit for stem cell transplants, marking a Bristol bank milestone.
The Bristol bank opened in 1996, is the fourth largest globally, and holds nearly 20,000 donations.
Natasha Kirkpatrick donated Ellaria's cord blood in 2017, and Ellaria received a life-saving transplant in 2022 after acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Kirkpatrick emphasised donations are vital, saying Ellaria would not be here without them.

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Story summary

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) issued its 1,000th umbilical cord blood unit for stem cell transplants, marking a Bristol bank milestone.
The Bristol bank opened in 1996, is the fourth largest globally, and holds nearly 20,000 donations.
Natasha Kirkpatrick donated Ellaria's cord blood in 2017, and Ellaria received a life-saving transplant in 2022 after acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Kirkpatrick emphasised donations are vital, saying Ellaria would not be here without them.