Students sell plasma for extra money

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Erik Brace said he is kind of like a doctor because he saves people’s lives.

The Westland freshman is joking, but he does help save lives by donating plasma.

“I’m broke and want to help people, too,” he said.

BioLife Plasma Services, 4279 E. Blue Grass Road, offers donors $20 for their first visit during a week and $35 for subsequent donations that week.

Plasma consists mostly of protein and water and is used to transport red and white blood cells.

But donating plasma is just one way students use their bodies to make extra money.

Another way students can help people while making money is through a flu vaccine study.

The study, which was organized by the University of Michigan, was created to discover if a nasal spray of a flu vaccine is as effective as the more common flu shot. Participants have a chance to either receive a flu vaccine or a placebo.

CMU Site Coordinator Jean Ineahearn said enrollment for the study has ended and CMU reached their goal of 630 people.

“Other campuses were asked to get 500 people because it always has been harder for them to reach the higher numbers,” Ineahearn said. “But we’ve always had a good response.”

Participants receive a total of $100 for being in the study, which runs until the end of flu season, and is determined by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

BioLife offers time-related bonuses from 8 to 11 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

“We run a lot of different promotions,” BioLife employee Molly Stover said. “Like if you donate so many times a week, as much as you can, you get a bonus.”

Stover, a Chesaning alumna, emphasized the importance of allowing the body to regenerate plasma for at least one day before donating again.

She also stressed the importance of participants eating healthy before and after they donate.

“If your protein is low that day, we won’t let you donate,” she said.

BioLife conducts blood tests, weight measurements and questionnaires to ensure that people are not donating plasma when they should not do so.

If they are able to donate, blood is then collected through a needle inserted under the skin. Plasma is extracted from the blood before it is put back into the person’s system. They are then injected with saline to help with the recovery process.

The plasma collected is then sent to be distributed to help hemophiliacs and burn victims.

news@cm-life.com