During IPAW blitz, foundation's plasma ambassadors thank hundreds of donors

Over a million people around the world rely on plasma-derived therapy to live healthy lives. For many of them, that therapy is the only treatment available. This is the case for many people living with a primary immunodeficiency (PI).

Immunoglobulin (Ig) replacement therapy, made from donated plasma, gives people with PI temporary protection from germs. The body breaks down the antibodies in the Ig, so patients must replace them continually, usually every week or month for the rest of their lives. It takes 130 plasma donations for one patient with PI to receive treatments for one year.

For International Plasma Awareness Week (IPAW), our plasma ambassadors are putting a face on that need by visiting more than 100 plasma donation centers around the country over seven days. First launched 13 years ago by the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA), IPAW raises global awareness about source plasma collection and the importance of plasma donation. The week also recognizes donors' valued contributions and builds understanding of plasma protein therapies and rare diseases.

The Immune Deficiency Foundation created the plasma ambassador program to let plasma donors know how much they matter. Ambassadors are volunteers, typically patients who use Ig therapy or caretakers, who visit plasma donation centers to personally thank donors and share how donated plasma impacts their lives.

Angela Ridenour, the foundation's volunteer manager, shared that the program’s mission is “to promote the importance of plasma donation by sharing patients' personal stories of its lifesaving benefits. Ambassadors give donors a name, a face, and a personal connection to the generous act of service they perform.”

Those visits make a difference. "One of our plasma partners shared that their number of return donations increased and [the] number of employee errors decreased after volunteer visits," said Ridenour.

Herbert Mann, a Florida resident, is traveling to five different plasma donation centers over the week. Mann only recently got connected with the foundation, specifically out of a desire to volunteer. His eagerness to participate in the plasma ambassador program and his full commitment during the IPAW challenge stems from his own challenging journey with his health.

Mann spent 30 years searching for answers about his health. Medical facilities, including world-renowned ones, failed him. One even estimated that he would likely not live past age 50. In 2013, he finally received a PI diagnosis. Today, Ig therapy lets him live a happy, relatively healthy life.

Mann refuses to see his illness only as a setback. "I don't consider my disease path a bad thing," he said. "It has led to adventures I would never have had. I've met amazing people I would never have met. So to me, it has done just as much good as bad, which is why I've never believed it to be a hindrance to me."

Becoming an ambassador also helps Mann personally. The role gives his routine structure and purpose, and it gives him an outlet to tell his story, which he calls a healing tool.

During one site visit, Mann spoke to more than 200 donors in just the few hours he was there. He found himself blown away by the respect, honor, and gratitude with which the manager of the center treated each individual. "She is one of the most inspiring people I have met. Her leadership created an environment where people feel valued, heard, and inspired to make a difference; it is more than just managing a successful site," said Mann.

Anyone in the PI community can become a plasma ambassador, whether you are a patient, a caregiver, or a supporter. Fill out an application, and we will reach out to you.

Mann encourages others to take the step. "Become a plasma ambassador. There are no downsides whatsoever. A lot of people worry about talking to others about their medical conditions, but no one is going to judge or critique how you present your story. No one is going to look down upon you for having a disease or illness that they can't see. There is no need to worry about how you will be received. There is no standard. Just show up, be yourself, and tell the truth."

A stable plasma supply could mean the difference between life and death for the millions of people who live with rare, chronic conditions like PI. Ridenour believes volunteers can even help shorten the time to diagnosis.

“As donors learn about PI, they share that knowledge with the people in their lives who might be affected,” she said.

Patients thrive when donors give, and plasma ambassadors play an integral role in that chain. Patients' stories matter, and so do the efforts of those who share them. To all of our current plasma ambassadors: thank you!

If you can donate plasma, please find a center near you and sign up today. As Mann put it, "Even though you'll never meet the patient who receives your plasma, they can function in daily life only because of you, because someone like you decided to be compassionate."