The bottom line
Our review of Anja Health found that it’s a great option for many parents-to-be, especially for those who don’t have a lot of money for an upfront investment. The service has simplified the process so much that anyone can take advantage without confusion and frustration. The portal provides all the support you need to follow the process one step at a time in complete confidence.
Keep in mind that there are many types of cells in the blood and tissue of umbilical cords that have yet to be explored. The collections you preserve today will likely multiply in value as the years pass.
Anja Basics
Anja Health is a cord banking and stem cell storage option that has the potential to save lives. While this process was once complicated and extremely expensive, sources like Anja Health are simplifying the procedure and lowering costs to bring this life-saving opportunity to more families.
The Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Different collection and preservation options (cord blood, tissue, and placenta) |
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The Story
The process of stem cell collection has been well-tested and can allow you to store your stem cells for 20 years. But why is this important, what can you expect, and why might you choose Anja Health over competitors?
Anja Health was founded by Kathryn Cross after her brother’s battle with cerebral palsy. After discovering that his condition was treatable with cord blood stem cells, the family did everything possible to find a stem cell match. Unfortunately, finding matches is incredibly difficult, which led to Cross’s mission to make stem cell storage more affordable and accessible to everyone.
Cross turned Anja Health into one of the best stem cord blood banks available today. Matching stem cells is different than matching blood types, so many people in need never find donors. Had her brother’s stem cells been collected at birth, he would have received the treatment he needed to survive cerebral palsy. Anja Health’s mission is to save more lives in the future in honor of Cross’s brother.
How does Cord banking Work?
It has the potential to form all cell types needed to create healthy blood. Because it contains a rich collection of hematopoietic stem cells, they are heavily researched for use in regenerative medicine and can help treat blood disorders, liver disease, and more.
It contains numerous unstudied stem cells, many of which could one day lead to treatment for a long list of medical issues that compromise lives today.
The tissue contains a large collection of cells that can form into various cell types. Called mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), researchers are discovering ways to use these to treat numerous diseases, including neurological and cardiovascular diseases. They can also help with bone fractures that don’t heal.
The placenta contains multiple types of stem cells with a wide range of potential medical applications. Researchers have even used one type of placenta cell to regenerate healthy heart cells in animals that experienced heart attacks.
The science
Stem cell storage could one day save the life of someone you love. The stem cells you collect and preserve after the birth of your baby are easily cryopreserved—a medical form of freezing—and then stored for decades into the future. Those cells are a guaranteed match to the baby and are more likely to match blood relatives than cells collected from unrelated donors.
To date, the FDA has approved stem cell treatment for specific types of cancer and some blood and immune system conditions. There are more than 80 conditions that are currently approved for treatment, and more approvals will crop up as the body of scientific research expands.
- Tissue regeneration after heart attack or stroke
- Diabetes
- Immune system and blood repopulation after chemotherapy or radiation
- Blood disorders
- Immune system disorders
- Genetic disorders
- Some types of cancer
Anja Products
The Plans
Base Plan
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At $69 per month, this is the simplest and cheapest plan – but it doesn’t cord tissues that might be really valuable later. If you can afford the $30 more per month, we recommend Enhanced or Complete options.
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Banked:
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Cord Tissues only
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Enhanced Plan
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At $79 per month, the Enhanced plan allows you to preserve those hematopoietic stem cells that can form all three types of cells that make up healthy blood, adding the power of those MSCs that we discussed above, and the Complete plan maximizes the value of your stored stem cell collection.
Complete Plan
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At $99 per month, the Complete plan is what makes Anja Health stand out as one of the best stem cell banking options – not all banks currently offer the option of banking the placenta along with umbilical cord blood and tissue. Research into the use of placenta stem cells is still in early development compared to the knowledge about umbilical cord stem cells.
How to Get Started
Anja Health makes stem cell collection and storage easy, but it does require participation from you and the medical providers delivering your baby. The following steps will put the entire process into perspective.
- Receive collection kit: After your purchase, Anja Health will ship you a 100% sterile collection kit that contains everything needed to collect, pack, and transport your collected blood and tissue, including:
- An FDA-approved Pall blood bag with CPD anticoagulant
- Complete instructions for your medical team
- All supplies needed for collection after vaginal or cesarean birth. The kit is sterile both inside and out.
- Notify your medical professionals that you want to collect stem cells and provide your collection kit at the time of delivery.
- During/right after birth: Your medical team will follow the instructions to collect the umbilical cord blood, cord tissue, and placenta (depending on the plan selected).
- NOTE: If your providers determine that collecting the blood or tissue is unsafe, you can receive a full refund from Anja Health.
- After collection: Anja Health will send a professional transportation service to pick up your completed kit and transport it to the company’s secure lab. The collection is manually processed to remove the maximum number of stem cells from the blood and tissue.
- Note: This manual processing is RARE, another factor making Anja Health one of the best online cord blood banks available today. This leads to almost 25% more stem cells being recovered and up to 80% fewer red blood cells contaminating the sample.
- Cryopreservation: Stem cell collections are placed in advanced cryo bags, tested for infectious disease, and then cryopreserved. You’ll receive a stem cell certificate to save for your records.
- If you need your stem cells in the next 20 years: Your certificate will help you access your collection promptly. If your child, a family member, or someone you know needs the cells, we’ll transfer the cells to your healthcare facility for treatment.
What to Expect
Anja Health provides a convenient and informative parent portal that offers:
- Stem cell collection tracking: After it’s picked up and transported for processing, you don’t have to wonder where the sample went or if the processing is taking place on time. Everything is documented in the portal for your information.
- Messaging: Ask questions and get prompt responses from members of the Anja Health care team at any point in the process.
- Help you with medical forms or other steps of the process that you may find challenging. You’re never on your own when you work with Anja Health.
The Costs
Cost of Stem Cell Storage with Anja Health
You will pay a one-time upfront fee of $199 to receive your Stem Cell Safe. You can then purchase one of the three collection and storage plans for another upfront fee, or you can select a payment plan. The plans start at $35 a month for eight years, which delivers 20 years of guaranteed storage as long as the payments are received monthly.
| 20 years | Lifetime | |||
| Pay Now | Pay Later | Pay Now | Pay Later | |
| Kit Fee | $199 | $199 | $199 | $199 |
| Base | $3,299 | $49 per month | $5,999 | $69 per month |
| Enhanced | $5,299 | $79 per month | $9,499 | $108 per month |
| Complete | $6,599 | $99 per month | $11,999 | $139 per month |
Compare those prices to the cost of collection and processing from other online cord banks, and it’s clear why Anja Health reviews rave that the company is one of the best cord blood banks available today. Some competitors start pricing around $1,200 upfront!
Competition
Reviews
What is the Verdict?
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FAQs
Anja Health services are available throughout the United States. Their professional transport service can retrieve collected samples within about 12 hours from any location nationwide.
If you need to use your stem cells for an approved medical procedure or treatment in the future, you’ll contact Anja Health through their portal to request retrieval. Your physician will receive the stem cells directly, so you never have to handle the cells personally.
All stem cells collected by Anja Health are stored in the company’s FDA-registered, AABB-accredited storage facility in New Jersey. Processing prior to storage is completed in the closest lab to the collection location.
Most kits are picked up and transported within 12 hours of collection. Anja Health ensures that collection is timely so that the stem cells are properly preserved.
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