By the time Lisa Hardin saw a positive test result for COVID-19, she already had pneumonia in both lungs and every breath felt like she was breathing through a straw. Her husband drove her to the emergency department Friday, April 10, where she became South Carolina’s first coronavirus patient.

This week, medical professionals fighting for the lives of coronavirus patients now have another tool in their medical kit with the backing of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Convalescent plasma is considered a promising potential treatment for COVID-19. Now that the Federal Drug Administration has granted emergency authorization for its use with patients, calls are going out for anyone who can donate to do so.

One South Carolina COVID-19 patient lay in the intensive care unit, struggling to breathe. Her symptoms started with a lost sense of smell and taste. She was close to being put on a ventilator when she received a plasma transfusion, which saved her life.

Fast-forward 20 years, Patricia, 83, became the first person to donate 100 units of blood at The Blood Connection. 

Chris relates his experience making a convalescent blood donation after testing positive for COVID-19.