Donate plasma and eat for a month

Colleges are full of finger cramped students constantly penny pinching and the Advocate staff isn’t any different–one option for feeding an emaciated wallet is to donate plasma.

Not only does donating plasma make a few bucks, but it’s also crucial for treating patients suffering from many life-threatening conditions, including hemophilia, shock or trauma, immune deficiencies, and other blood disorders.

Money making potential does vary, but donors can make around $50 for each of the first several visits depending on their weight—the bigger people are the more they make. After several visits it goes back down to around $60 for two visits a week.

CSL Plasma in Aurora takes walk-ins anytime. As with other places, it wants donors to check in early in the morning and come back later, but it can take up to half the day during busy hours, Friday through Sunday. Since donating is only allowed twice a week with one day in-between visits, the Advocate found Tuesday and Thursday to be the quickest.

First time visits will take longer, around five hours, because new visitors need to take a physical—without turning and coughing—but if the donator comes in recently fed and properly hydrated he or she can leave in under several hours, so drink plenty of water and eat two hours beforehand.

An examination is necessary because the plasma goes into someone else’s body, so organizations are picky with what plasma they except. Plasma donors cannot have donated blood ten weeks previous, had a tattoo or piercing six months prior, or be taking certain medications, but the average Joe/Jane shouldn’t have a problem. 

For more information visit:

www.cslplasma.com
www.biomatusa.grifols.com

www.bonfils.org