CEDAR CITY — For Cindy Hagen, donating plasma at Grifols Plasma gives her a sense of paying it forward. It’s akin to the quick smile, the friendly conversation starter or the few seconds spent holding the door for someone. It’s these small things, such as plasma donation, that represent the softer parts of life.
After prodding from her daughter, who herself was a plasma donor while in college, Hagen decided she had to try donating. So she visited Grifols Plasma at 1188 Sage Drive in Cedar City.
Even from the beginning, it wasn’t about personal benefit, she said, as enticing as the benefits may be. It wasn’t about the money or even the fact that donating plasma has led her to make more health-conscious choices.
Hagen is giving plasma because, she said, she knows her donation can help people.
Plasma is currently being used to treat people with hemophilia, primary immune deficiency, shock or burns, rabies, tetanus, autoimmune diseases and much more.
In fact, one of these therapies was first used during World War II to treat severe conditions and continues to be used on today’s battlefields for the treatment of wounded soldiers.
Plasma contains hundreds of essential proteins and antibodies that are vital to the body’s ability to maintain critical functions, including controlling bleeding and fighting infections. Without enough of these proteins, a person could have a life-threatening illness. It takes from 130 to 1,200 plasma donations to treat just one person who may need plasma medicines for one year.
Hagen said she considers her plasma donations worthwhile if she can help give another person an improved life.
“If it helps one person, you know, it is kind of like a pay-it-forward,” she said.
And she already has noticed the benefits to her own life: Because plasma donation requires a healthy donor, she finds herself cutting back on the coffee, increasing her water intake and choosing healthier foods.
Donor health and product safety are the utmost priorities of Grifols Plasma. Only plasma from healthy, repeat donors is used to produce plasma-derived medicines. Donors receive a thorough health screening at each donation, including a physical exam at the first visit. Plasma donors are compensated for their time because of the commitment involved in being a regular plasma donor.
Hagen admitted that she doesn’t really care which form a person’s generosity takes, she would just like to see people help each other. But, she said, giving plasma is an especially convenient way to help others. It’s easy and takes about an hour to an hour and a half.
Hagen said it has become a mission for her, and she’s even recruiting her husband to donate.
“If it only takes you an hour and a half to help somebody, would you do it?” Hagen asked.
To make a difference in someone’s life, donate at Grifols Plasma today.
Learn more on the Grifols Plasma’s website. Stop by the Grifols Plasma Donor Center at 1188 Sage Drive in Cedar City, or telephone 435-867-8554. To donate, bring a valid government-issued identification, proof of address and social security card.
• S P O N S O R E D C O N T E N T •
Resources
- Grifols Plasma | website | telephone 435-867-8554 | address: 1188 Sage Drive, Cedar City
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2016, all rights reserved.
there must be a lot of cash in the blood plasma business bc these places are popping up all over. i’ve talked to a lot of ppl that ‘donate’ it for the cash even tho it’s a pittance every month. when they resell it they must mark it up something like 500,000% that’s business.
If they’re paying you, its not really a “donation” though? Don’t get me wrong, its still a good thing, but they’re selling plasma, not donating it. Sure companies skirt around this by saying their compensating you for your “time and effort”.
oooooh, and those needles… huge needles. ouch!
to each his own i guess
Donating plasma is no “small thing”. When I donated it left me feeling week all day and made me anemic after two donations. Not to mention… the place I was donating does not require “licensed” phlebotomist. This more often leads to complications inserting the needle correctly and left me with veins stabbed through, purple bruises and painful discomfort of which all they could do was apologize. If you can donate plasma, that is great, just be sure the organization you are donating to is honest about where your donation will end up.
so not a real phlebotomist? You know those 17 gauge needles are nasty things. You’d at least hope whoever’s stabbing it into your vain has some experience. makes me cringe, really.
hmm, maybe it’s even bigger than 17 gauge?
This business is a spin-off of the red cross blood banks where skid row winos routinely “donated” so they could get another short dog of Thunderbird. How times have changed.
They should just build more of these donation centers next to bars and Meth labs and pay day loan offices
Do they sell the plasma, on, for medical research?
Does anyone know how much a unit it goes for?
if it’s anything like what hospitals charge for blood you can bet it’s $100s -1000s per oz.
I posted a comment at 2:08 PM. It’s now 11:40 PM, 9 hrs 32 mins later and the comment has still not been posted because of censorship. How do you get a spontaneous flow of ideas and comments when it takes 9 1/2 hrs to post a comment. A Jen Psaki state department could do a better job.
LOL ! 422 they do that to me all the time
you should ask for a refund of the subscription price
I bet it’s safe to assume Bob wouldn’t be on this site if it wasn’t free.