Safira from Canada.
Barbara from Italy.
Saravanan from Malaysia.
Lucky from Uganda.
Vivian from Bolivia.
They all have one thing in common: They’re telling their #PlasmaTrue stories to underscore the importance of plasma donation for themselves or their loved ones. In the campaign, launched by the International Patient Organisation for Primary Immunodeficiencies (IPOPI), patients from around the world answer questions about their patient journeys. All depend upon medicine made from donated human plasma.
In addition to donor awareness, IPOPI says the campaign addresses the worldwide need for “more regionally balanced plasma collection.” A majority of the plasma used to make medicines is collected in the United States.
“PID patients represent a significant group of people whose lives and quality of life rely on appropriate access to a range of immunoglobulin therapies. Access to plasma is key for these patients who have no alternative treatment,” IPOPI said in a statement about the campaign.
IPOPI represents people who have primary immunodeficiency diseases (PID), a collection of 400 rare, immune system diseases. The diseases are hard to diagnose and often overlooked while some patients go for years getting frequent infections because their immune systems don’t work as they should.
Safira said it took 30 years to find out why she got sick so often. Lucky, who lives in Uganda, says her young son wants to be a pilot or a doctor and that without regular treatment he can’t go to school. Watch Safira’s story below and visit the IPOPI YouTube channel see more #TruePlasmaStories.
