EAMC employee who had coronavirus becomes first COVID-19 plasma donor in Alabama
Published 6:29 pm Friday, April 24, 2020
- Eryn Morris, a registered nurse and care coordinator at East Alabama Medical Center, recently donated plasma. Morris was diagnosed with one of the first COVID-19 cases in Chambers County.
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Eryn Morris, a registered nurse and a care coordinator at East Alabama Medical Center, was one of the first people diagnosed with COVID-19 in Chambers County. Earlier this week, she became the first person in the state of Alabama to donate her plasma to LifeSouth Blood Center.
Morries was tested on March 20 and quarantined for 17 days following her test. During that quarantine, she decided once she was able, she would donate her plasma.
“I had a lot of time at home to think about the patients in the hospital who were so sick with COVID-19,” Morris said in a press release. “My body was strong enough to fight off COVID, but somebody else may not be able to and could benefit from the antibodies in my plasma.”
Plasma from people that have recovered from the disease contains antibodies that can help treat hospitalized COVID patients. Just like blood, there are different types of plasma and not all plasmas are matchable.
Morris’s plasma is A-positive, meaning the patient that receives the plasma will have to be a match.
Morris has worked at EAMC for 23 years. One of her friends and coworkers is Brooke Bailey, who is the Infection Prevention director. Before reaching out to LifeSouth, Morris went to Bailey to discuss her donation.
“She called us way before we even began collaborating with LifeSouth,” Bailey said.
“It’s a privilege to know we have her and others at EAMC who are willing to give back during this time to help sicker patients recover from COVID.”
Morris’s late sister is another reason that she was motivated to donate whenever she was healthy.
Her sister, Yvonne, died six years ago from a cerebral hemorrhage in Gainesville, Florida. Yvonne was an organ donor when she died.
Eligible donors should register at https://lifesouth.bio-linked.org/, and LifeSouth will contact those who register directly.
For questions regarding donations, email LifeSouth at medicaloffice@lifesouth.org or call (888) 795-2707.
Let them know you are donating to East Alabama Medical Center.
