Stephen Sprague

About 10 years ago, Steve was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia--CML. Finding himself at the end stage of the disease and unable to find an unrelated marrow donor, doctors did not think Steve had long to live. Steve then became one of the first adult patients to participate in a clinical trial using cord blood as a stem source, having found a match at the New York Blood Center's National Cord Blood Program. Following his cord blood treatment 8 years ago, Steve was judged cured of his leukemia. Now 57, Steve is affiliated with the National Cord Blood Program, a public program that stores donated cord blood for patients needing marrow transplants. Steve lives in New York City, in the borough of Staten Island.