Each year, on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, millions of people around the globe participate in the generosity movement called Giving Tuesday. Started in 2012 to counteract the high volume of spending that occurs on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the annual tradition encourages people to do good by their communities.
There are many ways one can give back to their community or a worthy cause – through volunteerism, advocacy or financial contributions. Donating plasma is an invaluable philanthropic gift. Plasma is used in treating more than 300 conditions, so your donation could be the difference between life and death for someone in need. Additionally, when you donate at Octapharma Plasma, you are compensated. Some donors choose to donate their compensation to those in need for an even greater impact!
Plasma is derived from human blood and cannot be artificially produced. In 2020, U.S. plasma collection fell drastically, primarily due to donors staying home and widespread quarantines. This shortage had a global impact that persists today, as the U.S. supplies more than two-thirds of the world’s plasma. As a result, the thousands of patients who rely on plasma donations for life-saving therapies and transfusions have been left vulnerable.
We recently heard from the mother of a son with a rare chronic condition, Systemic Sclerosis, which requires a monthly plasma-based IVIG transfusion. That family experienced the shortage first-hand, as they had to skip three months of treatment due to dwindling supply. She encourages her community to donate plasma, if they are able saying:
“Do whatever you can. You never think something like this will happen to your child until it does, and with it, your world and your child’s world changes forever.”
This Giving Tuesday, will you provide a lifesaving donation to support vulnerable patients? To learn about where to donate throughout the holiday season, click here.
