FORT MYERS, Fla. - With tough times, come drastic measures. Many in our community are selling anything they can just to get by, including their plasma.

Just an hour after opening for the day on June 17th, nearly 100 people were lined up inside Biotest Pharmaceuticals Plasma Center in Ft. Myers. Some prepared to wait hours, for $20 dollars.

Biotest is a private, for-profit company that uses donations for medications and research. Our camera's weren't allowed inside and our requests for an interview denied, but donors we talked to say they can get anywhere from $20 to $50 dollars for their plasma.

It's money they say helps stretch their budget, allowing them to afford gas and groceries.

The huge crowd of donors at Biotest is often a stark contrast from Lee Memorial Blood drives. One held on the same day, June 17th in Cape Coral Hospital, had about ten donors an hour. One held last week at Lee Memorial Hospital saw 121 donors in 12 hours.

Due to FDA guidelines, Lee Memorial's Blood Center can't pay cash for blood or platelet donation, and doesn't take plasma. They do offer gift certificates as "thank you's." Unlike Biotest, all blood donated at Lee Memorial Blood Centers stays in our community.

Blood supplies are low right now at our local blood centers. If you'd like to help and qualify for some free dinner gift certificates, Lee Memorial Blood Center is hosting another blood drive on July 2nd at Health Park.

LINK:
Lee Memorial Blood Center
http://www.leememorial.org/bloodcenter/