Kellie Shirley, who played Carly Wicks in EastEnders, is expecting non-identical twin babies with her husband, Phil Davies.
They’ve chosen to donate the cord blood to Anthony Nolan’s stem cell register to help blood cancer patients.
She explained: “I’ve chosen to give birth at Kings College Hospital because it’s the only NHS hospital in London where I can donate my cord blood to Anthony Nolan’s stem cell register.
“Every year 2,000 people in the UK, many of them children, need a bone marrow transplant from a stranger. It’s often their last chance of survival.
“But that can only happen if there is a matching donor on the bone marrow register, like the one run by Anthony Nolan.
“If they can’t find a matching donor, the best alternative is to use stem cells taken from cord blood.
“That is why I plan to donate mine.”
Kellie continued: “It may sound daunting, but it’s simple.
"After I give birth a specially-trained midwife will come into the delivery room and collect the cord and placenta. And that’s it."
Umbilical cord blood is rich in stem cells which can be used in stem cell transplants for people with blood cancer and blood disorders.
HOW IS CORD BLOOD COLLECTED?
According to their website, Anthony Nolan collects cord blood from willing new mothers who sign up at four hospitals – King’s College Hospital London, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester General Hospital and St Mary’s, Manchester.
When a woman who is giving birth at one of these hospitals agrees to donate her cord blood, a specially trained midwife enters the delivery room shortly after the birth and collects the cord and placenta. It's as simple as that.
These are then taken to a different room where the blood in the cord and placenta is harvested.
It is then sent to Anthony Nolan’s Cell Therapy Centre in Nottingham where it is frozen and stored for use in stem cell transplants.
To find out more and to sign up, visit the Anthony Nolan website.
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ARE THERE OTHER WAYS TO HELP?
Yes; why not consider signing up to the Anthony Nolan stem cell register yourself?
It’s a simple, painless process – very similar to giving blood.
Some people who donate report mild flu-like symptoms, but these usually vanish within a day or two.