For TJC students wanting some extra cash in their pockets, BioLife Plasma Center is offering $240 for first-time donor for their first month. To receive the $240, it takes 8 donations in a month. Donating plasma can save and sustain the lives of people with hemophilia, immune disorders, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma, and other chronic and acute medical conditions.
“We have students that come in to donate regularly. The first-time donors will need a valid drivers license or state ID and be able to pass a physical,” said Jennifer Johnson, front desk associate at the BioLife Plasma Center in Tyler. “We have a program where the donor can get an extra $10 for their fifth donation and an extra $20 on their seventh donation. The plasma is sent off to those who need it.”
Blood plasma is the pale-yellow liquid component of the blood that is easily replaced by the body. It makes up about 55 percent of the body’s total blood volume. Blood plasma can be used for many things including blood transfusions.
When donating plasma the human body needs a couple of days and a few protein rich meals to assist in producing plasma so the most a person can donate is twice a week. The only thing the center asks of students living on campus is their ID and a physical address for their dorm and the dorm name.
“I’ve donated plasma for about a year off and on. I would say that the number one benefit for me for donating plasma is the money incentive. In the first two visits you can get up to $75,” said Joey Mooney, a past art student minoring in English at TJC.
“If you have a friend that goes in and uses your name you can get $50 per each friend. So for me, I use the extra cash for gas money. When I first went to donate I was surprised about how few people donate and so it makes me feel like I’m giving back in a big way since the community of people that give is so small.”
To schedule an appointment online go to http://www.biolifeplasma.com and click on the top right purple tab that says schedule an appointment. This tab will open up a new browser called Easyscheduler Home Page. From here, you can check the student’s eligibility, such as if they are considered at a healthy weight, medications that are not accepted for blood plasma donation, and many other requirements that need to be met.
“I have been donating plasma at the BioLife Plasma Center in Tyler for the past 6 months. The extra cash comes in really handy,” said Shannon Rivers, a Fall 2014 TJC student majoring in business. “The staff is really friendly and I can be in and out in about 45 minutes most days. I would encourage anyone willing to donate to do it proudly because there are not a lot of people that donate plasma in our community.”
The BioLife Plasma Center is located at 332 W. Heritage Drive in Tyler. The BioLife Plasma center is open Monday-Sat. Comments are welcome at mytjcnews.com
