Those impacted by COVID-19 encourage the donation of convalescent plasma

Reporter: Andryanna Sheppard Writer: Drew Hill
Published: Updated:

Local hospitals are in need of convalescent plasma if you’ve recovered from COVID-19. They want to help families that are desperately trying to save their loved ones.

Erica Guerrero’s husband is in the hospital right now fighting for his life. He’s away from her and their 4-month-old daughter.

“I just look at my baby. She has the same face as him exactly. It gives me strength somehow knowing that my daughter is relying on me. So I try to keep it together really,” Guerrero said.

Despite her and the baby being OK, she is also sick with the coronavirus. Her husband’s symptoms, however, progressed very quickly. At this point, he’s been in the hospital for about two weeks.

“He is on the ventilator and he is heavily sedated right now, according to the doctor,” Guerrero said.

On Friday, she took to Facebook, hoping that someone who has recovered from COVID-19 and has her husband’s blood type would reach out to her and donate plasma.

Luckily, that same day, her prayers were answered and they found a match.

Doctors want her husband’s breathing to get better before starting the treatment. “I’m hoping that it would help him. At this point, of course, do anything that will make him better. So that he can come home to me stronger and healthier,” she said.

John Loeber understands what a convalescent blood plasma transfusion can do for people like Guerrero’s husband. Just five months ago, Loeber thought COVID-19 was going to kill him.

“I sincerely believe that I would have died that night and in that hospital if some stranger who I don’t know didn’t donate his blood plasma at that time,” Loeber said.

Since he survived, he has become somewhat of an advocate. He encourages anyone who has recovered from COVID-19 to donate their plasma. This in hopes that people like Guerrero’s husband will be able to walk out of the hospital like he did in June.

“I never stop worrying about him. It’s been really crazy. It’s been emotional and distressed,” Guerrero said.

Loeber says he owes his life to a stranger and hopes that others out there will be as gracious as that person was for him.

“I owe my life to a stranger who back in June when all this was first starting went to donate their antibodies and that ended up in my bloodstream while I was in the hospital. I firmly believe that that is what saved my life. It’s simple. It’s easy. And I think it is the right thing to do,” Loeber said.

Guerrero says as soon as she gets better, she plans to donate her plasma in hopes that she can help others survive COVID-19.

If you would like to donate your convalescent plasma, you can do so by following this link.

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