It has been said the greatest gift is that of life. Humankind has been offering this gift for years through organ, tissue, bone marrow and blood donations.
As the study of diseases and their treatments progresses, science is providing new ways for men and women to give the ultimate gift.
One method growing in popularity is donating human plasma, the pale yellow fluid component of blood, which contains vital proteins.
Plasma is one of three main components of blood, along with red cells and platelets.
Ann Kammerer, spokeswoman for the American Red Cross Great Lakes Division, said the primary use for plasma is the treatment of burn or shock victims.
The American Red Cross provides plasma to hospitals around the state, collecting plasma during the whole-blood donation process following an individual evaluation.
"We do a health history with a donor, and we do a miniphysical — we go over each of the results of those with a donor to determine if they are able to donate on that day or not," said Kammerer. "The important thing to remember is that about 60 percent of people are eligible to donate blood."
In compliance with Red Cross guidelines, a donor must be at least 17 years old, 110 pounds and in good health.
However, several other factors may prevent the person from being considered safe to donate, including low iron, possible exposure to contaminants while traveling and even recent body art done at an unlicensed facility or one that does not meet specific health criteria.
Kammerer said it is important to determine if donating will be safe for both the donor and the recipient.
If the donor shows any of these factors during testing, they may be deferred to donate at a later date, Kammerer said, adding that most are deferred for only a few months.
"You can donate every 56 days — that is every eight weeks — up to six times a year," she said.
The blood is drawn from a single injection in the arm. Once the whole blood has been removed, it is separated into the three products in a lab.
"People tell me the biggest thing they feel is a little pinch when they are first drawing blood," Kammerer said.
Most people go through the blood donation process with no problem at all. Some people may see a little bit of bruising around the area."
As for age groups, all those older than 17 years of age are welcome, but trends do exist.
"The majority of our donors are 45 and older — we see a lot of people between 45 and 65. We do get a lot of people in the 17-25 age group, about 30 percent, Kammerer said.
She said many students donate blood during high school and college, mainly during the academic year. She hopes these visits will become a lifelong practice.
"A lot of them are giving for the first time. What we would like to see is students carrying on that tradition," she said.
One of the main factors in donation is time, and most people who donate have a more established lifestyle and flexible schedule.
At Michigan Community Blood Centers, removing blood components is done differently than whole blood donation through a process called apheresis.
By definition, apheresis involves drawing blood from a donor, removing certain components — such as red cells, platelets and plasma — and transfusing the blood back into the donor.
"With apheresis, you donate on a machine, and we separate different products we need from your blood," said Kelly Kurchak, a therapeutic apheresis nurse with Michigan Community Blood Centers.
She said the machine contains a centrifuge which separates the blood. A single needle is inserted, that is connected to the machine.
"There is no pain or anything," said Kurchak. "The only thing they may feel is tingling around lips or fingertips."
This tingling sensation, she said, is the result of a loss in calcium during apheresis.
The process for removing plasma takes about 40 minutes withdrawing 500-600 milliliters, Kurchak said. Eligible donors may complete apheresis every four weeks.
Kurchak said patients experience limited discomfort following the procedure.
"Their arm might be a little stiff, from holding it in that position for more than 15 minutes, but other than that they feel just fine," she said.
Kurchak added that some patients say they feel better after apheresis, reporting a "less drained" feeling.
Kurchak said the process is becoming more common, but the amount collected depends on the demand from hospitals for blood components.
With centers located across the nation and open on weekends, donating has never been easier. Who knows — one man's 40 minutes could be another man's 40 years.
