Genre: Information/Explanation

Tonya and Marvin Morris were pregnant with their fifth child , Sparrow , when they first learned about cord blood banking . Like many expecting parents who bank , they decided to save her cord blood so it might be available for any of their children , should one of them ever need it . Sparrow Morris was born a healthy baby girl in rural Missouri . When she was 2 years old , she was in the garden playing with her siblings , trying to fill a watering can from the family pool . She lost her balance and tumbled in , quickly becoming unconscious under the water . Tonya began CPR until rescue workers arrived at their rural home and transported the little girl to a place where she could be medevaced to the nearest hospital . The emergency crew did n't receive a pulse until they were in the air . The aftermath After being deprived of oxygen for so long , Sparrow's neurologist had little hope that the toddler would come out of her vegetative state . The family told doctors that they had saved Sparrow's cord blood , but were told that cord blood could only help in the case of blood cancers . Sparrow was sent home , unable to sit up , crawl , or talk . Nearly a year later , Tonya was approached by a friend who was interested in banking with CBR . Tonya called CBR and was put through to a Cord Blood Education Specialist . During the call , she happened to ask the Specialist if cord blood was currently being used to treat brain injury . She was transferred immediately to CBR's transplant office . Offering the chance at a better life Thirteen months after the accident , Sparrow received a reinfusion of her cord blood stem cells through an investigational treatment at Duke University . Shortly after , in conjunction with physical and occupational therapies , her family began to report she was moving her limbs with purpose . Today , Sparrow has been released from all of her physical and speech therapy classes . According to her mother , " Sparrow is doing so well ! Other than continuing to have some balance issues , she can walk , run , and jump on the trampoline . She is meeting goals set out for her and far exceeding what anyone thought she was capable of . She speaks slowly , but is able to string five - to nine-word sentences together . "