Author
Alpha1 Germany eV, as published in Alpha1 Journal 2/2022.
„"Such a donation takes approximately 45 minutes and can be made by the donor twice a week or 60 times a year."“
As part of International Plasma Awareness Week, Professor Rembert Koczulla (Head Physician at the Center for Pneumology at the Schön Clinic Berchtesgadener Land) was invited to the Haema Center Tegel on October 8, 2022, for a meet and greet with donors. The dialogue was to be enriched by a patient's perspective, and so I, as Deputy Group Leader of the Alpha1 Berlin-Brandenburg Self-Help Group, was able to participate in this event.
Upon arriving at the blood and plasma donation center, my husband and I were warmly greeted by Ms. Britta Diebel, Head of Communications for Haema AG. The atmosphere was almost homely, with coffee and cake ready and the Haema team kindly answering my questions about the schedule for the next few hours. The upcoming donor recognition ceremony was intended as an expression of gratitude to the many plasma donors, emphasizing once again the importance of plasma donations and that lives can only be saved through voluntary plasma donations.
It was organized so that we could watch two donors during their donation and ask them questions. The female donor had donated plasma 161 times and the male donor 565 times. I was fascinated by the process of how plasma is collected. Of course, I wanted to know how the machine worked, and Ms. Diebel explained the process to me in detail.
So, the donor's blood is fed into a small machine standing next to the donor and centrifuged there by the closed system. This means the heavier blood cells are separated from the lighter plasma. The yellow, clear blood plasma flows into a connected container, and the remaining blood components flow back into the donor's body. Such a donation takes about 45 minutes and can be made twice a week, or 60 times a year. This plasma is medical "gold," as vital medicines are derived from it.
Professor Koczulla's address to the donors, his expression of gratitude for the numerous donations made so far, and his explanations of the necessity of the required plasma brought a deep sigh of relief to all participants. I, too, receive a plasma-based medication that extends my life. I suffer from Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency. Therefore, I am so grateful to all plasma donors, and I was pleased to express this gratitude, on behalf of our association Alpha1 Germany e.V. and our self-help group Alpha1 Berlin-Brandenburg, by thanking the two donors.
It was an emotional encounter with the donors. They themselves rarely meet patients who need this precious plasma to survive. Their words, "We are happy to help," deeply moved me.
Before the video, Professor Koczulla explained to me in detail what alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is, and I thanked him for that. Afterwards, I was able to make an appeal for plasma donations!
After this event, I researched blood and plasma donation online to find out more. The question arose whether this topic is taught in schools. Why is it given so little public attention? Have I simply overlooked it? The media currently discusses all sorts of topics, including the broad subject of medicine. But I hear very little about what we desperately need for our lives: blood and plasma donations. I hope and wish that this will change. Blood and plasma donation deserves a strong voice in the media.
Petra Netzel
