Steve Kairl has an immune deficiency that wasn’t discovered until he was in his 30s. A regular plasma infusion helps him fight constant illness. Photo: Keeli Dyson.
A push for plasma donations aims to ensure Illawarra residents with immune deficiencies and illnesses can have healthy and full lives, with the community urged to roll up their sleeves to help meet the massive demand.
Steve Kairl battled illness for more than a decade, without knowing why he kept getting sick or how to stop it.
“I used to always get chronic chest infections and pneumonia,” he said.
“I’d get pneumonia once or twice a year and they couldn’t really figure out why.”
The Albion Park small business owner pushed through the constant bouts of sickness, which eventually were expected to cause scarring on his lungs, until a decision to donate blood prompted further investigations.
“They checked my blood and figured out I didn’t have any IgA cells,” he said.
At 32, he was diagnosed with a Immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficiency which occurs in around one in 500 people and limits the body’s ability to fight illness and infections.
But his condition was treatable through plasma transfusions.
“I got into the infusions in February 2018 and since then I haven’t had a chest infection, barely get the flu, so it makes a big difference,” Steve said.
“It’s been a game changer.”
He now spends a couple of hours every month receiving the treatment at Wollongong Hospital which enables him to work and enjoy activities such as motorbiking without the increased risk of getting sick.
But donors are a crucial part to ensuring his health can continue to thrive.
“It takes 130 plasma donations for me to get my yearly treatment, so it makes you pretty grateful that people donate and how lucky we are as well to have access to it,” Steve said.
Immunoglobulin is required by more than 13,000 Australians each month to manage acute or chronic conditions and sustain their quality of life and plasma-derived medications are used in the treatment of more than 50 serious medical conditions.
Plasma is also used in emergency and trauma care and protecting unborn babies.
“Every plasma donation has a story behind it,” Immune Deficiencies Foundation Australia (IDFA) CEO Carolyn Dews said.
“Steve’s story shows that the person helped by a donation could be someone in your own community – someone fixing appliances, riding motorbikes, working, volunteering, raising a family or simply trying to stay well enough to live their life.”
Eligible donors can give plasma every two weeks in Australia, with the whole donation taking around 45 minutes.
Despite the need, less than one per cent of Australians donate plasma.
Now IDFA and Lifeblood are calling for the Illawarra community to help boost the supply at their local blood bank, by hosting a Plasma Party at the Wollongong donor centre on 9 October as part of International Plasma Awareness Week.
Participants are urged to book in and roll up their sleeves from 10 am to 3 pm on the day, with the event also providing the opportunity for donors to see their impact firsthand through more stories, with the celebration also including a raffle with local prizes to be won.
To find out more about plasma donation and eligibility visit the Lifeblood website.
