All I want for Christmas…
…is a few stem cells. Forget the Xbox 360, according to CNN.com, stem cells from umbilical cords make great gifts for your grandkids.
Director Shamshad Ahmed said the company had started selling gift vouchers in response to customer demand, as grandparents in particular wanted to contribute money towards the cost of storing newborn babies’ stem cells, for future use.
Am I the only one who finds this as bizarre? I guess, storing stem cells is a good idea as insurance for possible diseases or ailments occurring later in life, but if my grandparents bought me stem cells I would not be very enthusiastic. It is like when I was 10 and my great aunt “bought” me a donation to some charity, what do you think I did with that? At least the company is advising people appropriately:
“If someone said to me, ‘I want to buy my grandchild some stem cells because I am worried they will get leukemia,’ then I would tell them not to because the chances of getting the disease are slim,” he said.
Next year for Christmas I want a liver, just in case I end up getting Sclerosing Cholangitis.
December 20th, 2005 at 9:08 am
I went to my local Best Buy store and they did not have any stem cells in stock. So, I’ll be heading to Costco later to see if they sell them in a fun pack.
December 20th, 2005 at 10:09 am
i think they had them at the apple store in the mall
December 20th, 2005 at 11:26 am
They have stem cells, just not the 1 GB model. They’re sold out until January. Or is that iPod shuffles? iPods shuffle?
December 20th, 2005 at 11:34 am
no, actually its the stemcell 30 gb 2k6 with portable docking station and video playback that’s out of stock. get your facts straight.
December 20th, 2005 at 5:25 pm
There’s nothing like scaring the shit out of kids about possible future disease. This story reminds me of getting raisins and pennies for halloween from an old lady instead of snickers and kitkats. The old people are always teachin’. there’s always looking out for the future. about ninety cavities and a root canal later, i should have eaten those raisins and saved my pennies.