Get The Happiness Habit – or at least, get this book by Christine Webber, recently re-published as an e-book (£1.79) – if you’re suffering from the January blues, and give yourself a chance at feeling brighter. […]

For patients with leukemia – and other blood conditions – stem cell transplants can mean the difference between life and death. Stems cells are used in patients with leukemia where the bone marrow is producing disease cells, has been damaged during chemotherapy or has spontaneously failed so no longer produces the cells we need. Stem cells can replace themselves and replace cells in those tissues which are damaged, worn out or have just died.

But 18 years since the first cord blood transplants were performed in the UK, public knowledge on this life-saving process is still lacking. A study of over 4,000 people conduced by YouGov found that because of the lack of awareness that umbilical cord blood and tissue can be stored there is a major shortage of stem cells in the UK. Just 9% of patients stored cord blood when they gave birth and it is estimated that 400 patients each year miss out on treatment due to a lack of suitable stem cell donors.