OPELIKA, Ala. (WRBL) – In East Alabama, waves of recovered COVID-19 patients are rolling up their sleeves to help others heal as well.
An East Alabama Medical Center nurse is the first COVID-19 recovered patient to make a potentially life-saving donation to LifeSouth in Alabama. Now, others are following her lead.
“I was very anxious about having COVID-19, but I feel good now, I am completely recovered, so I am ready to help other people,” shared Amber White.
White is an Auburn mother and wife of a police officer. She fought off COVID-19 back in late March and is now turning her illness into potentially life-saving Plasma.
“Overall, I feel like I handled it pretty well, that’s why I want to donate plasma for those people who are not handling it well,” shared White.
White is one of many donors who are following in the footsteps of East Alabama Medical Center’s Eryn Morris. The registered nurse was one of the first COVID-19 patients in Chambers County, and now she is the first recovered patient in Alabama to donate Plasma to LifeSouth Blood Center. Morris clutched a picture of her beloved sister, an organ donor before she passed, during her donation.
“My body was strong enough to fight off COVID, but somebody else may not be able to and could benefit from the antibodies in my plasma,” Morris shared.
A recovered patient’s Plasma contains antibodies or proteins in the blood. Preliminary studies show the antibodies can be helpful to hospitalized COVID patients by lessening the severity of the case.
With east Alabama consistently leading the state in COVID-19 deaths, Morris and White are praying their donations will ease someone’s suffering.
“Anytime we have needed anything, the community has helped us, so we always want to make sure we are giving back to our community. We grew up here in the Auburn, Opelika, and Beauregard area, and it feels good to take care of our own,” shared White.
If you are a recovered COVID-19 patient, you can register to donate Plasma at https://lifesouth.bio-linked.org/, and LifeSouth will contact you directly. For questions regarding a donation, email LifeSouth at medicaloffice@lifesouth.org or call (888) 795-2707. Let them know you are donating to East Alabama Medical Center.
