The Stillwater Plasma Center’s ads beckon you with promises of extra cash for spring break or summer vacation. It seems like a quick and easy way to make some money. Is it too good to be true, or is there really such a thing as a free lunch?
On the outside, the Plasma Center is drab and uninviting, but inside it is cheerful and bright. It is hard to find a place to sit among the many men and women waiting their turn to lend some of their time and blood for a good cause and a nice chunk of change.
According to the director of the Stillwater Plasma Center, Whispy Honeycutt, plasma donors can make up to $160 dollars a month.
Honeycutt said because of how easy it is to make money from plasma donations, the center is almost always busy.
“We get about a hundred people a day,” Honeycutt said.
Plasma donations are different from blood donations in several ways. First, plasma donors are paid for their time. Second, once the plasma is extracted, the donors’ blood is returned to their veins. Also, blood plasma is not separated by blood type.
Honeycutt dismissed the rumors that the process of returning the blood is painful and makes plasma donation worse than blood donation.
“It’s really easy when you get used to it,” Honeycutt said, who has also donated plasma before.
Meridian technology student Matthew Eslinger has donated plasma several times and said, “The first time it hurts. After doing it a time or two, it doesn’t hurt.”
The screening process for potential plasma donors is similar to blood donor screening.
Candidates undergo a series of tests including blood pressure, protein and iron tests.
Potential donors are also asked questions which can determine their eligibility to donate.
People from homeless shelters cannot donate because shelters are at a high risk for Hepatitis C. People who have spent more than three days in jail are also kept from donating. Also, people who have recently traveled to countries with high rates of certain illnesses are temporarily barred from donating.
There are many other things that can disqualify or temporarily bar a candidate from donating plasma. Certain medications or surgeries can affect a person’s ability to donate. A person cannot donate plasma without a sterilization form from places where they received tattoos or piercings.
Once a potential donor is screened and approved, their plasma can be extracted and used for many different purposes.
Blood plasma can be used to treat hemophiliacs and burn victims. It is also used in manufacturing many different types of medications.
There are few risks involved in plasma donation, which makes it an even more attractive source of cash.
Honeycutt said some donors worry about air bubbles entering their blood stream, but the machines which return the blood have powerful sensors which detect and prevent such dangers.
Many of the people in the waiting room were repeat donors; they seem satisfied with the exchange.
“I get to relax for an hour, making money while just laying there; there’s not a whole lot I don’t like about it,” Eslinger said.
Most donors are students, for whom the compensation is a significant amount of money.
Nathan Woodworth, mechanical engineering technology junior, and Justin Bevers, wildlife and fish ecology senior, said they donate plasma about once a week.
Ryan Robbins, an employee for the Plasma Center who screens candidates, said foreign citizens can donate as long as they bring a valid passport or visa.
For those who are too squeamish to donate their blood plasma, the Plasma Center has other opportunities for people to make money. The center is also looking for interested job applicants.
No experience is necessary to apply for a position since the center provides all the required training.
Honeycutt said it is a good experience for students who are interested in the medical field.
Although the Plasma Center is almost always busy, they still actively seek new donors.
“There is always a need,” Honeycutt said.
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