For Some People with Rare Diseases, Plasma Donations

According to the National Institutes of Health, one in 10 Americans lives with a rare disease, which is a disease that affects fewer than 200,000 people. Rare diseases are found across the medical spectrum, from conditions that affect the heart, blood, lungs, and kidneys to neurological and neuromuscular diseases, metabolic, skin, as well as bone and skeletal disorders.

Some of these rare diseases, such as alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, Kawasaki disease, and others, can be treated with plasma-derived therapies. These therapies replace missing or deficient proteins allowing those affected to lead healthier and more productive lives.

Last year I helped launch a campaign that raises awareness about the importance of donating plasma. Give = Live highlights personal testimonials from people with rare diseases and encourages everyone who is eligible to donate plasma regularly.

For people with rare diseases, plasma treatments offer hope.

Crystal was perfectly healthy until she was disabled with two neuromuscular autoimmune diseases over the course of six months. Her plasma treatments helped her live a more normal life after her rare disease affected her ability to walk, care for her children, and forced her to give up work and physical activities that she loved. She watches as she shares her story.

Alice needs 1,000 donors a month for the infusions she receives every 28 days that help her live with fewer serious infections. Ella learn more about her story, including how she gives back at her local plasma donation center.

Giving plasma is rewarding and the process is easy. If you are eligible to donate plasma, I encourage you to make an appointment to donate.

From registration to recovery, first time plasma administration can take up to 2 hours. After that, it takes 1 to 1 ½ hours. You must return to the same plasma center within six months to administer again before your plasma can be used. Also, all plasma centers follow strict health and safety rules to make sure you are safe and comfortable.

Plasma regenerates quickly. With adequate hydration, your blood volume returns to normal within 48 hours. Because of this, you can administer plasma twice in a 7-day period, but no more than once in a 48-hour period. Committed, repeat visits are the best way to support our ongoing and growing need for plasma, so please donate often!

Want to learn more? Read the answers to common questions, then make an appointment to donate today.

The more donors there are, the more lives we can save.