Chennai: The hall at the ITC Grand Chola Sheraton was all decked up for a welcome that’s befitting to the Queen herself. But for the ‘Most Beautiful Woman in the World’ and a member of India’s cinema royalty, no preparation seemed too much as she walked in to flurry of flashes. Elegant as always in a red saree with a golden zari border paired fittingly with jasmine flowers on her hair, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan arrived over an hour late but managed to bring the attention back to the matter at hand with a warm namaskaram and a vanakkam in that voice that’s familiar to us all. In the city to launch Life Cell’s public stem cell banking program, the actress spoke at large about her own experience storing the umbilical cord during delivery calling the procedure a ‘precious gift’ for her daughter Aradhya, she says, “I just found out today (Sunday) is parent’s day and honestly, after giving birth, I’ve realised every day is parents’ day. I feel blessed to have received such a gift. Couples who are expecting should be aware of it and it’s a selfless and precious gift one can give to their children.”
About motherhood and her decision to go in for umbilical cord stem cell banking, she said, “It was quite a natural decision we made during a crucial time. Life Cell came to us and spoke to us using simple and obvious facts to explain how the procedure works. It is a period when, as expecting parents, we do a lot of research and we’re like walking-talking encyclopedias about childcare. So we consulted with family, friends and people we know from the medical fraternity before we went in for umbilical cord stem cell banking.”
The procedure, considered a norm in the West, is yet to receive due importance in India. Urging people to spread awareness about the importance of the banking stem cells, she added, “The treatment is something that needs to be made more accessible as it is very difficult to find a matching stem cell. With the opening of a public stem cell banking system, there will be a major public impact.”
Visiting the city after a long time, she spoke about the people and her visits here, “You realise that time flies every time you visit Chennai and it has been long since I visited last. The people here have always been very warm to me and I always feel at home here, thanks to the love I receivehere.”
