THE PLASMA FILES WRITTEN BY
TRACY NICHOLSON
M
ost people in this community are aware of the compensation
benefits of donating plasma. I, myself, had a college roommate who routinely boasted about her groceries being paid for by plasma. There are many eager to do any small task that puts money in their pockets, but most don’t realize the full extent of what plasma can do to help save lives around the world. Yes, it’s a win – win for everyone!
With November being Primary
Immune Deficiency Awareness month, we think it’s time to shed some light on what plasma’s role actually is. We went right to one expert, Becky Levine at Grifols, a plasma donation center in Moorhead known as Talecris Plasma Resources to help us sort out the details. “Donating plasma is something to be very proud of, because you are helping to save the lives of people who don’t have any other treatment options available. The proteins found in human plasma are unique and irreplaceable, and they often provide the only effective treatment for patients with immune deficiencies. The plasma we collected is used to produce these life-saving therapies for people around the world.” 34 // fmstride.com
WHAT IS PLASMA? Plasma is the liquid portion of human blood. The vast majority of plasma – 92 percent – is composed of water. The remaining eight percent is made up of essential proteins and antibodies that aid in our body’s vital functions. A shortage of any of these proteins can result in one of many life-threatening illnesses.
WHY IS PLASMA SO IMPORTANT FOR PATIENTS WITH IMMUNE DEFICIENCIES? Patients with immune deficiencies cannot fight off common viruses and bacteria because their immune systems do not produce essential proteins and antibodies. To restore or replace missing proteins, patients are often administered protein therapies that are derived from human plasma. Your donated plasma