Donating Your Plasma Could Help Save Countless Lives. Here’s One True Story

“I have a lot of goals in life,” says Charity, a high-energy 18-year-old, based in Missouri. In fact, she already has her post-college plans mapped out: She’s going to become an architect — in addition to opening a nonprofit that builds homes for those in need. She speaks so confidently about her future, you’d never guess that, at one point, it seemed unlikely — if not altogether impossible — that she’d go on to live a full, healthy life.

When she was just 23 months old, Charity was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease, an inflammatory illness that, according to the CDC, primarily affects children under five. Often signified by high fever, a bright red tongue, peeling skin, and swollen hands and feet, the disease causes the immune system to attack the body’s own blood vessels — and if proper medical treatment isn’t received within 10 days of its onset, it can be deadly. 

When Charity started to show symptoms, she was misdiagnosed with hand, foot, and mouth disease. When the condition continued to worsen, she was ushered to the hospital — on day eight. She arrived just in time to receive critical, life-saving care. “She was so sick, I thought we might lose her,” says Charity’s father, Al. “She was too young to verbalize what was really bothering her, and by the time we got to the hospital, she was barely moving. She just slept on my chest, trying to find a comfortable spot while we waited for test results.” 

After receiving her diagnosis, the doctors told Charity’s parents that her best treatment option was to receive a type of plasma therapy. Plasma is a scarce yet life-changing resource because plasma-derived therapies can only be made from plasma that's donated from healthy adults. Broadly speaking, the plasma portion of a person’s blood is responsible for carrying substances like nutrients and hormones throughout the body — but it also contains important proteins and antibodies that play an essential role in clotting blood and fighting infection. Basically, its purpose is to help keep us healthy — which makes plasma therapy a critical treatment for acute illnesses like Kawasaki disease, as well as chronic conditions, like immunodeficiency disorders.

For donors, the plasma donation process is somewhat similar to donating blood. The key difference is that, as a donor’s blood enters a collection machine, plasma is stored, while red and white blood cells and platelets are sent back into the body. After the donor returns for a second donation — which is required in order for their plasma to be approved for use — their plasma is processed into medicine for patients like Charity. “About three hours into her 12-hour infusion, she tapped me on the shoulder and asked me if she could play,” says Al. “The nurse helped me wheel her down to the hospital’s playroom, IV drip and all. I went through a whole box of tissues just watching her play.” 

Over the next six months, Charity’s doctors monitored her closely. They expected to see some inflammation in her coronary arteries, the most common long-term complication of Kawasaki disease. But when her follow-up cardiovascular scans came back clear, she was officially deemed recovered. To this day, her doctors cite the plasma-derived therapy she received as the reason she’s gone on to enjoy an active childhood full of sports like soccer, track, cheerleading, and dance: “To know there was a chance that I wasn’t going to make it, and that somebody donating plasma helped save my life…let me tell you, it’s priceless,” Charity says.

The donation was wildly impactful for Al as well. He’ll never forget the generosity of strangers who gave his daughter the priceless gift of plasma — ultimately helping to save her life. So, in the hopes of paying that kindness forward, he’s decided to return the favor to other families in need. He visits a local BioLife Plasma Services donation center twice a month to donate plasma, and he encourages those who are eligible (donors must be 18 or older, weigh at least 110 pounds, and pass a medical screening beforehand) to do the same. As he explains it, the process, which could help save lives like Charity’s, is simple and straightforward (not to mention, the fact that donors are monetarily compensated for their time). “The donation itself takes about an hour, so I usually block off some time to read a book or get a bit of work done,” he says, noting that he’s never experienced any adverse effects following a donation. “I don’t generally run a marathon later that day, but I never feel fatigued. I just try to relax for a few hours.” 

Now, Al hopes to inspire others to follow in his footsteps. He frequently visits Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to speak about the importance of plasma therapy and encourage more plasma donations within the Black community. “We’re African-American, and historically, people in our community have been hesitant about healthcare and blood donations because of past issues with government-run clinical study groups,” he says. “But one way we can improve health equity in our community is by raising awareness. Plasma donation is so valuable, and it gave me my daughter back. I just want people from underrepresented groups to know that we all can be a part of a simple solution to change lives.” 

Now that she’s 18 and fully recovered, Charity plans to join the cause and become a donor herself. She also hopes to educate others about plasma’s value — given that her infusion allowed her the freedom to dance competitively, play piano, take AP classes, and, well, live her life to the fullest extent. “A lot of people don’t know what plasma is or what it does,” she says. “I want everyone to understand more about it, and to know how easy it is to donate so that it becomes as common as giving blood. There is a true purpose behind it. This can actually change and help save lives, just like my own.”