See how important plasma donors are.
These are the stories of just a few of the amazing people whose lives have been greatly improved by the plasma-derived medicines our donors help create.
Taking CIDP in Stride
It was fall of 1992 when Kim Koehlinger's fingers began tingling and he could no longer move the left side of his face. His symptoms progressed to the point where the only movement this 40-year-old from Fort Wayne, Indiana, could make was turning his head from side to side. He was paralyzed. The diagnosis: chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP).
"My wife had to haul my wheelchair and help me get around"
After plasmapheresis and then intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) treatment, Kim's condition improved enough for the Koehlingers and their three kids to take a weekend trip to the Indianapolis Zoo. "My wife had to haul my wheelchair and help me get around," Kim said. "But even with all the inconveniences, it was good for my soul to get out and take my mind off what was going on in my body."
After nearly 10 years of IVIG treatments, Koehlinger has been able to resume his everyday activities and continues to visit the zoo – without a wheelchair.
Jeffrey Meyer
Sandra Cook
Jerry Shorten
