Philosophical wimp

A friend in need is a friend indeed, and there is no better occasion to prove your friendship than in life changing moments, such as childbirth. Let met share the experience of helping my friend Cassie on her due date. We both live in the Greater Toronto Area, and her husband was stationed overseas, involved in a critical assignment. I had known for months that I would be Cassies main support in that emotional moment, so I decided to be the best friend I could be. I started by preparing the checklist with everything my friend would need on the day she goes into labour and afterwards.

Facing the Responsibility

Let me be honest and tell you that I had no idea what childbirth involves. Cassie had told me that she and her husband had signed up for the preservation of stem cells from the umbilical cord, so I had to remember to get in touch with some courier provider services, Greater Toronto Area being home to quite a few, and to select the best one to take care of the transfer of cord blood to the stem cells bank. I also had to film the entire event and send Cassies husband a link to watch his childs birth later on. Indeed, as the day got nearer and I added more bullet points to my checklist, I was getting more and more worried whether I could handle everything and not disappoint Cassie in the moment when she needed me the most.

And the Big Moment Came

However, when I got the phone call from Cassie, I simply knew what I had to do. I was out shopping for baby clothes and I rushed to her home as quickly as I could. On the way in the taxi, I remembered and acted on the entire checklist. Here it is, for everyone who one day will be in the situation of giving this special kind of help:

1. Call the hospital and announce Cassies doctor to prepare for the delivery. This is the absolute first step, because good doctors are in great demand. Actually, Cassies doctor had to be called from an appointment.
   
2. Call the stem cells bank and tell them to get ready to collect the cord blood. I had all the relevant information from Cassie, so I was able to give them the credentials they needed.
   
3. Call the courier and make sure the cord blood would be delivered from the maternity to the stem cells bank.
   
4. Get Cassies maternity bag. We had prepared this bag together and included all the necessary clothes for her and the baby for the next two days.
   
5. Get Cassies documents. Actually, we nearly forgot about them in the rush to get to the hospital, but I made a dash for them just before the taxi left.

Everything went according to plan. Cassies baby boy was born later that evening, the courier services providers were prompt to make the delivery to the stem cells bank, and there was one more happy new mom as the sun set over the Greater Toronto Area.

Fitrana is one of the obligations every Muslim must fulfill each year. This is money given to the needy before the day of eid-ul fitar arrives. This money is given to the poor so that they will have something to use in order to fulfill their own need on the day of eid. The day of eid must be celebrated by all Muslims, rich or poor. The celebration is a prize or reward from Allah for the 29/30 fasts that Muslims observe during the entire month of Ramadan.

For ages, Muslims celebrate a number of special days of rejoicing each year. These special days are meant to celebrate and be happy. The two official days of rejoicing in Islam are the 2 eids. These special occasions must be celebrated by every Muslim, not only those who have the means to celebrate.

But not every Muslim have the capacity to celebrate. Some are too poor that they do not even have enough for their daily needs. To help these less fortunate Muslims to be able to celebrate, Islam gave the obligation of fitrana. In this mandate, every Muslim who is sahb-e nisab must pay fitrana before the eid prayer. This money goes to the poor for them to use for the celebration of eid. This is why it is also important to pay fitrana a few days before the eids so that the poor will receive the money before the celebration. This way, they have money to spend by the time for eid prayer arrives.

Fitrana is not the same as zakat. The two are similar obligations. The difference lies in how fitrana is measured and distributed.

The basic calculation of fitrana is 2.5o wheat per head in a family. For example, there are 10 people in the family. Per head (person), the fitrana given is 2.5 kg of wheat. That would be 2.5kg x 10 (people)= 25.0 kg of wheat. This family of 10 must pay the equivalent of 25.0 kg of raw wheat as fitrana to be given to the poor.

This amount is not so large that it is difficult to pay. Muslims are expected to pay the calculated fitrana a few days before the eid. Do not wait for the day of the eid itself before paying. Remember, this money will have to be distributed to the poor so allot a few days leeway.

A lot of people choose to calculate and pay the fitrana in the standard money against the 2.5 kg. However, it is better to calculate and pay according to the current equivalent amount of wheat. This would mean that if the price of wheat increases, the calculated fitrana is also higher. The sahib-e nisab will not be burdened much by the increase because the fitrana 2016 is still a small amount. But this increase will greatly help the poor family receiving it. They will have more money to spend on the day of eid, making their celebration even more joyful.

In Islam, it is an obligation that every Muslim will remember their fellow Muslim brothers and sisters during times of happiness, as well during times of sorrow. If they do not remember other people and forget about the poor, the world will be a sad place for those who have very little in life.

Cord blood storage is gaining more popularity among new parents who want to make sure that their child has the best fighting chance in case of serious genetic diseases. Stem cell banks in Canada are already running a profitable business and various courier services Toronto have diversified their offer to include special transport for cord blood from the hospital to the stem cells bank.

There are various misconceptions concerning cord blood cells collection and preservation, so this weeks column is dedicated to this hot topic: how do doctors collect cord blood and how safe is the procedure for the baby and the mother?

Let me shed some light on this subject with the aid of accurate, verified information, and take you on a walkthrough tour from the first contact with the stem cell bank to the collection and preservation of cord blood cells.

The First Step

Selecting a stem cells bank depends on various factors, the financial one being the most important. There are sufficient private stem cells banks in Toronto and only a few public banks maintained by hospitals. Most parents will opt for private stem cells banks which, although more expensive, do not make the cord blood cells available for public transplant programmes.

Another benefit of private centres is that they usually have their own courier services. So, once you have signed up for the cord blood cells storage, you are provided with a sterile collection kit which the doctors will use at the hospital to collect the cord blood.

The Birth

You should inform your doctor that you have signed up for the collection and storage of cord blood, so that the team assisting you during childbirth can prepare to act at the appropriate moment. This moment occurs immediately after the umbilical cord is cut and before the placenta is eliminated.

The medical team will clean the umbilical cord and use the sterile kit provided by the stem cells bank to collect the cord blood through gravitational flow. Practically, a sterile needle is introduced in the cord and blood drips inside a blood collection bag through a one-way system which does not allow air and impurities to get inside. Once the cord blood is collected, the bag is safely locked inside a solid case with anti-tampering lock, and the courier service is called to deliver the case to the stem cells bank.

The Future

Cord blood cells can be stored indefinitely through cryogenic preservation. They can be used at any moment your child or someone else in your family may need transplant for blood or genetic diseases. Once your Toronto clinic approves the procedure, the courier will deliver the stem cells from the storage bank to be transplanted.

Essentially, it is an effective way for you to properly reduce the levels of stress in your body by employing effective and powerful techniques to relax your body. This is considered to be progressive in such a way that it starts off mildly while working its way to fully providing you the much needed rest and relaxation.

This is considered to be a very effective technique for those people who are very stressed from their work or at home.

Find a cool and dimly-lit place to relax It should be a place that you really feel comfortable in. It can be your own room or outside in nature away from the hustles and bustles of the city life.

Close your eyes and keep your forehead in a clenched position Keep it that way and count slowly for 5 seconds until you release the position. You can repeat the process if need be and try to prolong the clenching of your forehead for a longer period of time.

Close your eyes and keep your eyes in a clenched position The same procedure in the previous one should also be applied here. This time, you should be able to clench your eyes as hard as you can and let it be in that position for 5 seconds. Progressive process in this case would allow you to relax the muscles around your eyes.

Continue the whole process throughout your body This is where you employ the same procedure in your hands, calves, biceps, forearms and in your other parts of the body. As usual, you have to clench those muscles as long as you can so that your muscles will feel more relaxed.

Surely, after this procedure, you would be able to feel very relaxed. Feel free to sleep after doing so. In fact, sleep is highly recommended after a progressive relaxation process. During this process, all the pressure points in your body are well tapped so as to release the tension off your body.

After you will be able to wake up, you will definitely feel more refreshed than ever. All those aches in your body that may be brought about by stress will be diminished or completely gone. Thanks to employing this effective technique which also helps you in significantly reducing the stress levels in your body. Stress may be conquered through proper relaxation and this is one of the best relaxation techniques that you need to do.