The Voice - Student Newspaper

Living off of "blood money" income

Talecris Plasma Resources (TPR) in Glendale, Arizona is just one of many plasma centers in the Metro Phoenix area that is seeing large business growth.

"Business is booming, just booming," says the center manager, "I came to this facility in August of '07 and we did about 65 donors a day and now we are doing about 250, so it's about a 76 percent increase."

Close to 90 percent of Bio-Medics business comes from students who struggle just to pay their bills and tuition.

"I'm paying tuition with blood money," says Glendale Community College (GCC) student David Logan, "I was paying tuition…paying off some last-minute, short-term loans that I took out for classes, and then I was paying for my rent, paying for my car bill and I had all those bills and just had to make money somehow."

Students are not the only ones affected by the poor economy. TPR has even seen an increased number of unemployed workers like Jason Osborn. He has donated plasma twice a week for months now, just trying to get by.

He makes about $240 a month doing it. It's a price he considers to be well worth the cost of any side effects he might later feel.

"It can hurt when they prick you and your veins can get a little sore if you do it like I do it, I do it all the time," said Osborn. "It takes a lot of energy out of you, so later in the day you can feel pretty drained."

Any healthy adult between ages 18 and 65 years old can sell their plasma. There is some screening involved, including an exam by a health care provider.