CellSave now stores over 350,000 stem cell units. Whilst this may sound like a meaningless statistic, what it actually means is

350,000 pregnancies

350,000 births

350,000 beautiful new babies

And a lot of new mums (although not 350,000 as many of our mums choose to store for all their children, not just one)

We wanted to know a bit more about some of the mothers behind our stem cells, so we’ve launched our “Featured Mums” series. Find out why they chose to bank stem cells from the birth, and what life is like now, with their children.

In the first of our featured Mum series, we spoke to Remi Salloum. Remi is a beauty blogger based in Dubai, but originally from Lebanon. After starting her career in media, she was exposed to social media and was inspired to start her own blog. She shares DIY tips and mini tutorials for her subscribers, but when she’s not testing the latest beauty products, she’s looking after her 7 month old twins.

How did you first hear about banking stem cells?

I first saw it on the news, which inspired me to read a few articles about it online to find out more.

Why did you bank your children’s stem cells?

Since stems cell banking is relatively new but has already cured a lot of illnesses, I have hope that the latest research will allow even more diseases to be cured in the future. I want to be confident that if, God forbid, anything happens to my children, I did my very best to keep them protected and give them more of a chance for better health.

How has your life changed since having your twins?

So many things have changed since I had my boys. I don’t have the luxury of time or sleep. All 24 hours are dedicated to them and to adhering to their needs. Also, going out has become a hassle; we need to plan our outings in advance so they don’t coincide with feeding or showering time. All this is normal, but the one thing that really turned my life around is carrying the responsibility of 2 human beings who are completely dependent on me. This is by far the biggest responsibility I have carried in my life!

And your beauty blog, has that changed since having your twins?

Yes of course, it has been challenging for me to keep up with content creation, especially now that I don’t have control over my time. I usually end up creating my content around midnight when I’ve put both boys to bed.

What do you do to stay active post-baby?

I have twins and I don’t have help at home, so you can imagine they keep me active all day!

What has your favourite moment of your sons’ development been so far?

The most entertaining bit was when they started interacting with my family and me, smiling back and mirroring our hand gestures, it was priceless!

What are you looking forward to in the development of your children?

I can’t say I’m looking forward to any specific time. The whole journey of motherhood is so exciting and dynamic, I can’t wait to experience every moment, big and small. Every new moment is so precious.

What one piece of advice can you give to first time mums?

Take a break when you can and always ask for help when you need it.

Have friends or family been encouraged to store cells because you did?

Yes, a few of them were unsure whether they wanted to store stem cells or not but were encouraged to do it when they found out I did.