Olympic gold medalist Shannon Miller to campaign for Stemcyte

Sep 5 2009

StemCyte, Inc., one of the world's preeminent cord blood banks, today announced that Shannon Miller, a 7-time Olympic Medalist and 9-time World Medalist, has signed an endorsement partnership agreement and will appear in a series of advertising and public awareness campaigns for the company.

Considered "The Most Decorated American Gymnast" by having won more Olympic and World Championship Medals than any other US gymnast, Miller is expecting her first child at the end of October.

"As an Olympic gold medalist, I've always sought out the best and healthiest decisions in life. As my husband and I began planning our family's future, we wanted to thoroughly investigate the finest decisions for our baby. Cord blood banking was a no-brainer for us, and StemCyte was the obvious choice for where we wanted to store our baby's cord blood."

Located in the US, India and Taiwan, StemCyte has established one of the largest, most racially diverse, and highest quality cord blood stem cell banks in the world and has supplied over 1000 cord blood products for over 40 life-threatening diseases to over 200 leading worldwide transplant centers. The company provides private banking for families wanting to store their baby's cord blood, and also provides services for donations, transplants and research for the public.

"We were thrilled when Shannon approached StemCyte. We felt that as a world class athlete, expecting mom and role model for millions around the world, she was a perfect fit for StemCyte. As a decorated athlete who knows what it takes to be the best in the world, we're thrilled that she clearly recognized StemCyte as the world's best choice for parents and their cord blood banking decisions," stated Calvin Cole, StemCyte's Vice President for North America.

A baby's cord blood is a rich source of stem cells, which are the body's "master cells." These are genetically unique building blocks for blood, organs, tissue, and the immune system. Stem cells reproduce and differentiate into other cell types, including bone, heart, muscle, and nerve. In transplantation, stem cells differentiate into red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, the three types of cells necessary for healthy blood and a sound immune system. Parents who choose to bank their baby's cord blood preserve a unique biological resource that is similar to a "self-repair kit" for a child.

http://www.stemcyteinc.com