Donating plasma has become a popular way to help others in need and make money in the process.
Sarah Newton, a business development specialist who has worked for BPL Plasma for four years, said plasma donations centers always need and value frequent donors.
People willing to donate plasma has increased over the decade. In 2007, there were about 15 million plasma donations in the U.S., according to information from Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association – PPTA.
By 2015, plasma donations increased by more than double with 35.3 million donations in the U.S.
Texas Tech alumna Ashley Wasswa said she has donated plasma more than 100 times.
“Just being in college, any extra money could help,” Wasswa said. “Part of me was wanting to help people where this plasma was going so that was kind of an incentive as well.”
If someone is looking to donate plasma, they will go through a five-step process, according to a PPTA packet. Presenting a valid form of identification and proof of a social security number is the first step. Next, the donor will undergo health screenings and a physical exam to ensure the donor doesn’t have any health problems.
Next, the donor will go through the plasmapheresis procedure, according to a PPTA packet. During this process, a needle is inserted in the donor and an automated medical device takes whole blood cells, separates the plasma for other blood components, then returns the other components back into the donor.
“To be honest, the (plasmapheresis procedure) was relaxing,” Wasswa said. “I remember on the beds, we were able to just do homework because a lot the times I was doing homework, or watching movies and stuff. It’s not very painful, but then again it depends on how you feel about needles.”
Donors are able to donate twice in a seven-day period as long as they are healthy and hydrated, Newton said.
“A lot of our donors get a lot of benefit out of that,” Newton said. “Of course each donation you are compensated of course, and we have awesome things like frequency bonuses. For example, this month if you make five donations you get a bonus $20 and if you make seven donations, you make a bonus $60.”
Finally, for the last two steps in the procedure, the donor is thanked for their time and commitments and the next visit is scheduled, according to a PPTA packet.
According to Newton, plasma donated at BPL Plasma goes toward the creation of certain medications. The plasma goes through about a nine-month process. First it is tested to make sure it is a valid donation, then the donation goes to a storage freezer, and lastly shipped to facilities overseas to make medications.
Cassandra Trevino has been a consistent donor for about two years. She said donating plasma is a quick way to make about $100 a week.
“I do know that (the plasma donation) was used, like in part of the video that you are required to watch, it normally goes for people who have really bad burns,” Trevino said. “People who suffer from burn injuries desperately need plasma.”
Plasma donation centers are constantly looking for healthy donors because it takes more than 130 donations to treat a single patient with a primary immune deficiency, while more than 900 donations are used to treat one alpha-1 patient, and more than 1200 donations are used to treat one patient with hemophilia, according to a PPTA packet.
To be eligible to donate at BPL Plasma, donors must be between the age of 18 and 65, weight at least 110 pounds and be in good health, according to a BPL Plasma brochure.
To become a donor, visit https://bplplasma.com/new-donors.
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