"Today, I was able to help someone."
Cindy, plasma donor
"My name is Cindy, and I have been regularly donating plasma since June, 2002. Before that, as I am Rh negative, I frequently donated blood at the Canadian Red Cross. When a friend told me about the Rh Plasma Program, I made inquiries and soon began the process of being immunized to develop the anti-Rh(D) antibodies.
"My mother is Rh negative and my father is Rh positive, but when I was born, the therapy developed using Rho(D) immune globulin had not yet been invented. Thankfully there were no complications for either of my mother’s pregnancies, and when I had my two children I was not given the treatment with immunoglobulin as my husband is also Rh negative. Today the standard practice is to give all Rh negative women the Rho(D) immune globulin treatment.
"When asked why I decided to become a donor, my reply is always: “To help save women and their babies, as well as the countless other uses, such as clotting factors, IVIG, albumin, etc.” Also, I feel that by donating weekly it keeps me in good health by eating well and drinking plenty of fluids every week. I also enjoy coming to the center every week and visiting with the friends that I’ve made over the years."