I Helped Change a Life...and Earned Disney Money:)

[Muushka]

This is such a tricky subject. I don't think blood banks should make that much money. Lots of people I know think that more people would donate if they were payed (I think they would as well) but a lot of the "wrong" people would donate just for some quick cash. "Wrong" people being for example druggies that have diseases. I do donate, and have received blood before. I guess I should say I donate now because I've had to have one and know the importance. Either way if you are paid or not good for you you really do help.

Yes, I agree, it is a double edged sword. But I would not want to see donors paid to donate.
It is so costly to process blood and then to have to throw the unit away because of problems with it.
But at the same time, if people knew how much money these organizations made (Red Cross comes to mind), they would be less willing to donate. I will not give the Red Cross one drop of blood and certainly no money. I donate my blood to a local hospital that processes and distributes it. And I used to donate blood to the place I worked. While I knew our CEO made a tidy salary, it was still better to donate my blood and know it was needed and would be used (I am type O) rather than not donate at all.

That's another point. When I find a cause to donate to, I always look at the salary of the CEO or whomever is in charge. And the % of the money that goes to administrative costs and actual charity.

 

[iheartdisney]

My mother did every blood drive they ever had in our small home town, and probably never would have thought of selling her plasma, but began after 9/11 when they needed donors (sellers, to satisfy some posters) who had received the small pox vaccine in childhood to begin making the vaccine again. She has been going to them every two weeks like clockwork.

 

[ecatzippy]

Your mom is awesome as are all the donors! I infused my child for about an hour last night with plasma derived immunoglobulin to treat his primary immune deficiency disease and today he will be playing flag football instead of lying on the couch. We have been on Disney trips pretreatment where his time in the park totaled two hours due to exhaustion. Now he can play all day. The donors have given him his life back. Thank you is not enough.

 

[kristenrice]

Just an update....

I have been going twice a week and although I haven't always qualified (hematocrit too low), I have been able to earn $385 over 12 "donations". I used this money to buy Disney gift cards from Target so it translates into $400. I plan to continue to try twice a week and put any future earning towards out next trip in May 2015.

 

[mom2_3girls]

My daughter has been receiving IVIG (switched to SubQ 2 years ago) since she was 3.5 years old...she is now 12. She too has a Primary Immune Deficiency and relies on people donating plasma. We have a BioLife near us that my dh donates plasma too and I too have done a few times. Before you are able to donate you see one of their physicians who goes through your history, then your asked tons of questions and then there is another step where they check your blood (see if certain counts are high enough)before you donate.They just don't take anyone! I just want to say Thank You to all of you who donate plasma, before IVIG my daughter was admitted to hospital roughly every few months to get IV antibiotics for infections that would not clear on their own.