Suburban Chicago couple hopes to inspire plasma donations after life-changing treatment

Well, on the heels of International Plasma Awareness Week, one local couple is sharing how plasma donations have changed their lives, and now they are hoping to inspire others to donate. So, Casey Cronin joins us to explain. You've been talking about this already today. Yeah, that's right, Anita. Following the birth of her second child, Christy Savino faced an uphill medical battle. That is, until plasma therapy came into the picture. More than a decade later, her husband is still donating plasma, and together they are raising awareness about its life-saving potential. Christie was diagnosed with primary immunodeficiency while hospitalized in the ICU after giving birth. She tells us she didn't think she would make it until doctors tried plasma-derived therapies. Soon, she was able to return home to her kids. And after learning how donated plasma helps patients like his wife, Antonio became a regular donor. than a decade, he has donated plasma every single week. The process takes him about 45 minutes, blood is drawn, the liquid plasma is separated, and the remaining blood cells are returned to his body. The couple from Addison, Illinois, joined us on Chicago Live this afternoon, hoping their story will inspire others to donate and give more families a chance at a future together. With that treatment, I had something I hadn't for the first time in my entire life after constant illnesses. It was hope for the rest of my life. I count on these amazing heroes to show up with this invincible superpower that they choose to share with myself, my family, and the millions of people around the world that depend on them. I just want to stress how thankful, how blessed, how grateful we are for the people that have donated, the people that continue to donate, even the people that are even thinking about donating. It makes the world a difference. To donate plasma, you generally must be 18 years old and up, weigh at least 110 pounds, and pass medical screenings, including testing for certain viruses. To learn more about donating plasma, you can visit plasmaweek.org. Meanwhile, the Savinos tell me they view International Plasma Awareness Week, which was held last week, as a holiday, celebrating the generosity of donors everywhere. You know, plasma donation is one of those things, as you pointed out, so critical, can literally save a life, but at the same time, not talked about that much. And it's not something we often think about. We talk a lot about donating blood, But donating plasma is just as crucial. Yeah, glad that you had that conversation. If you all are missing Chicago live, you gotta see it from 1 to 4 PM. Great conversations. Thank you. Thanks, Anita.