The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State University is noted as a site for the National Marrow Donor Program. Through the collaboration of the Karmanos Institute, St. John Hospital and Medical Center has collected about 100 units of cord blood each month since June 2005. Stem cells harvested from umbilical cord blood can be used to help the body\'s ability to make blood and build immunity. They are collected immediately following a child\'s birth by clamping the umbilical cord and extracting blood from the cord. The blood is then frozen and stored. Once collected, cord blood is stored at the J.P. McCarthy Cord Stem Cell Bank in Detroit, where it is registered with the National Marrow Donor Program at Karmanos Cancer Institute. The cord blood bank is the only one in southeastern Michigan, and one of eight national public cord blood banks.