Are any of you interested in donating plasma in order to help save lives? As an added bonus, you can make some money while doing it. If you have anti-D antibodies or have a negative blood type, you could qualify to become a donor for a company called Grifols. They use plasma to create an important immune globulin medication (Rhogam) that is given to Rh negative women during pregnancy to prevent them from creating antibodies. Most of you know my story, that I have anti-Kell antibodies which killed my daughter Lucy and threatened the lives of my two youngest children, Nora and Callum. Anti-D antibodies work in a similar way and are much more common than anti-Kell, putting many babies at risk for hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn. The Rhogam medication is given during pregnancy to prevent the anti-D antibodies from developing. If there was a medication like that for anti-Kell, I probably never would have lost Lucy or faced high risk pregnancies. My sister has a negative blood type and her husband has a positive blood type, so she potentially could develop anti-D antibodies. If she did, she would face a very high risk pregnancy situation like I did with Lucy, Nora and Callum. But because Rhogam is available, she simply receives an injection during pregnancy and afterwards and has never developed anti-D antibodies. Her two year old son and the baby she is currently pregnant with are both safe because of the Rhogam medication.

The Rhogam medication is made from plasma containing anti-D antibodies, which would not be possible without donors. If you are interested in becoming a donor, check out the Grifols website and see if there is a donation center near you. Feel free to contact them with any questions you have. Also please share this blog post so we can reach lots of potential donors. Thank you!

If you have Rh-negative blood, you have the ability to produce anti-D antibodies, which are needed to create an important Rh immune globulin medication given to women who are Rh negative during and after pregnancy to prevent hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN). A condition where the immune system of a mother who is Rh negative attacks her baby’s Rh positive blood often resulting in the death of the baby. To learn more about our anti-D program, details and locations to donate, visit:

https://www.grifolsplasma.com/en/specialty-plasma/anti-d-program