As told by her daughter Brandy who is a Biotest Plasma donor:
August 31, 2016 is a day we will never forget! My Mom was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP) and was fighting for her life. In TTP, blood clots form in small blood vessels throughout your body. The clots can limit or block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the body’s organs, such as the kidneys, brain and heart – and that is just what they did. It started to shut down her organs. Her platelet count was low, deadly low. We could not get to Tennessee quick enough to see her – it felt like the longest trip.
We are so fortunate that she was rushed to a well-known, large hospital in Chattanooga, Erlanger Hospital. There she was met by a team of nurses and doctors, one of which familiar with this disorder and was able to diagnose her right away. But was it too late? She was already undiagnosed and sick for more than 10 days at another hospital. They put her in ICU and on life support.
On September 1st, my sister and I were in the ICU at my Mom’s side, crying and just praying when we were met by one of her doctors. She did not have good news and we could tell right away that it was not what we wanted to hear. She asked us to get our other siblings and family and to be back to meet with the doctors at noon. Our hearts sank. We were told that afternoon to say our goodbyes and that she would most likely not make it thought the night.
My Mom proved them otherwise! Two days later, she was taken off life-support and started receiving her life-saving procedure – Plasmapheresis (Plasma Donations). Over the next few days and weeks, she received multiple plasmapheresis treatments. Enough that her organs started to work normally; her platelet count was where it should be, and enough that she made more and more progress every single day! The doctors were amazed. She was and still is a miracle. Today, my Mom is healthy and currently in remission.
Without your plasma donations, people like my Mom would not have been able to receive the treatment that saved her life! Be a Superhero! Donate Plasma! Thank you!