FLORIDA COUPLE DIAGNOSED WITH COVID-19 URGE PEOPLE TO DONATE CONVALESCENT PLASMA

Eduardo and Christine Juarez, just celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary. They’ve had a lot of great times and tough times, but this year, a test of strength they never imagined. They now have oxygen machines in their home just to help them breathe after both of them were diagnosed with the coronavirus.

“Every joint in your body hurts, your sweat feels like it's on fire. Your blood feels like it’s on fire. You can't get a deep enough breath,” said Eduardo Juarez.

His wife Christine said, “I didn’t even realize what was happening, everything was a haze.”

 Their diagnosis was so severe, the couple spent 12 days at Lakeland Regional Hospital.

“I couldn't even walk across the room to the bathroom without losing my breath,” said Christine.

 And, this time, Christine, couldn’t lean on her husband, doctors put them in separate hospital rooms.  Their youngest daughter, Eliza couldn’t even see her parents. 

 “I went two weeks almost three weeks without seeing them. All I would see was what I would see on a phone screen. I watched what they went through and it was very scary,” said Eliza through tears.

 But then, a few days into their battle, a ray of hope.  Doctor’s decided to try COVID-19 convalescent plasma transfusions.  A process where antibody-rich plasma from someone who recovered from the coronavirus is transfused into a patient still fighting the virus. 

 “We received the treatment early Monday morning and on that Friday we actually felt oh I'm alive,” said Eduardo.

 OneBlood was one of the first blood centers in the country to begin collecting convalescent plasma from people who recovered from the coronavirus. 

 “We're sitting here, today because of OneBlood's, tenacity and moving forth with this,” said Eduardo.

 “I know that this worked,” said Christine.

 Christine and Eduardo are so grateful for their convalescent plasma donations they are determined to pay it forward. 

 “We want to become champions of people, not only donating blood, but having their blood tested for the antibodies so that we have that stockpile,” said Eduardo.

 “People need to just go get their blood tested for antibodies because it could really save somebody,” said Christine.

 Eliza is also joining her parents to get the message out about OneBlood and the company’s mission to save lives.

  “It definitely made a change, they were a Godsend,” said Eliza.

To learn more about  convalescent plasma donations and to donate blood just head to  OneBlood