Ellen Craine-Rostker's Story

by Ellen Craine-Rostker
West Bloomfield, Mich.

My stem cell story began about six years ago, now. It began when my husband, Marty, had a heart attack July 5, 2002 and underwent open-heart surgery that September at the age of 44. At the time of his heart attack we already had one son, who is almost nine years old, but after the heart attack, I decided that I wanted “another piece” of my husband just in case something happened to him.

We proceeded with our fertility specialist and moved forward even though my husband was not convinced. As it turned out, the same day we found out my husband’s date for open-heart surgery we also happened to find out that I was pregnant.

My husband questioned how this could happen knowing he was facing possible death and fearing I would be a single mother left to raise two children on my own. But for me the pregnancy was comforting.
I had heard about stem cell research and the search for cures to diseases that have no known cures, but I wasn’t clear on all of the different types of research that were happening around the world – from adult to embryonic. Unsure or my options at the time, I began researching harvesting umbilical cord blood, which contain stem cells.

I looked at harvesting stem cells as an investment in the future: Something you “put in the bank” but hope you never have to use. So, I worked with my obstetrician, obtained the necessary information and supplies and when our son, Michael, now five years old, was born we harvested his umbilical cord stem cells.

But umbilical cord cells are considered adult stem cells, which means that unlike embryonic stem cells, which have the ability to form all tissues in the body, these stem cells are not as versatile and don’t have the ability to form all tissue types.

Shortly after Michael was born, my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the age of 60.  I always hoped that through stem cell research there would have been a cure for this dreadful disease while my mother was alive, and now, more than ever, I still hope for a cure. Unfortunately, those cures are not available yet and my mother died last year at the age of 66.

My hope is that researchers are able to continue all types of stem cell research in the search for cures to diseases that do not have a cure. I hope that people are aware of all of the different forms of stem cell research that may one day save the lives of our family and loved ones. I hope that stem cells will one day turn out to be a “medicine” for  a myriad of devastating diseases like Alzheimer’s and forms of dementia. There are many different types of stem cells and research can and should happen to figure out which stem cells are best to treat and cure debilitating disease.

Our son’s umbilical cord stem cells were tested and evaluated after his birth and are expected to be compatible with his older brother, my husband and myself, but I hope we never have to use them. However, if we are faced with the worst imaginable circumstance for any parent or person, I am glad that there might be hope because we have the stem cells. I believe stem cell research can provide great hope for the future of medicine.