What your plasma donation does

Fabio was our 3rd child and was classified as healthy after birth. But as soon as we left the hospital, he was sick for the first time with an eye infection. From then on, Fabio was ill every month - from angina to middle ear infections, coughs, colds and always high fevers. So we were permanent guests at the hospital.

When he was 16 months old (normally developed but with a somewhat unsteady gait), he got a very high fever that wouldn't go down with any antibiotics. In hospital he also got angina. By then I was sure that my child had some kind of illness. As I persisted, a special blood test was carried out at the hospital, which revealed an IgG deficiency. After spending 4 days at home, we had to go back to hospital - he had a middle ear infection, diarrhoea, diaper rash and a high temperature again, although he was still taking antibiotics.
Now he was completely checked out at the hospital.

In the meantime, however, he was spared nothing - he was completely allergic to a bee sting, Ehex toxin, he had sheep chills and all kinds of infections. In the meantime, ataxia teleangiectatica (Louise Bar syndrome = immunodeficiency) was suspected and when he was 26 months old, this was finally confirmed.

The hospital then began to give Fabio immunoglobulins into his vein. We immediately noticed that his overall state of health improved. Fortunately, after a few months we were able to switch to subcutaneous administration of the immunoglobulins. In other words, I learned how to insert a needle under Fabio's skin and administer an infusion under the skin using a pump (takes about 1 hour). It was a challenge for me as a mother to stick my child and sometimes a struggle to keep Fabio sitting on my lap for so long.

At the age of 4, Fabio learned to stick the needle into his stomach on his own. He was very proud of it. From then on, Fabio's life was almost completely normal. Yes - he has to have immunoglobulin infusions all his life, but he can live without a hospital.

Fabio attended elementary school and only had bronchitis and middle ear infections twice during this time, but these were easily treated with antibiotics.
He is now preparing for grammar school.

At the age of 19 months, it was discovered by chance during a blood test that Judith had far too few leukocytes. After many tests and several hospital stays, a diagnosis was made around a year later:
Myelokathexis (WHIM syndrome). This is an immunodeficiency.

The interesting thing about this disease is that the patients are normally remarkably healthy, but when they have an infection, it is very pronounced. This was also the case with Judith. It was never the case that she had a little fever in between, for example, a cough turned into pneumonia.

A few years ago, it was decided to give her immunoglobulins, initially every 4 weeks, later switching to every 6 weeks. In 2004, we were introduced to the possibility of injecting the immunoglobulins subcutaneously, i.e. an infusion under the skin, at home. This is much more convenient for Judith, as she missed a day of school each time and then had to make up school and homework (for which she was sometimes far too tired). In addition, over time she had developed quite an aversion to stitches in the vein, which was always a test of nerves for everyone involved.

Since Judith has been receiving the immunoglobulins subcutaneously, she no longer has any infections and, despite her immunodeficiency, she can lead a fairly normal life without many hospital stays. Judith graduated from high school. Unfortunately, she had a relapse due to the stress of her A-levels. The infections returned despite her therapy. After the immunologist checked her blood, he increased the dose of immunoglobulins for a while, as great stress unfortunately reduces the immune values. The infections stopped again immediately. After 4 months, we reduced the dose back to the previous one without her getting sick again.

Judith has now started her studies with renewed vigor and hopes that she will continue to do so well with the immunoglobulins. Without this treatment option, Judith would often be hospitalized and have very severe infections and pneumonia.

I had a normal childhood with a few infections, like all the children around me. I finished school and did an apprenticeship. I then started working as a sales assistant in a large store. I got married and had 2 children. So my life went on as normal ... until ... my 35th birthday.

I got a fever and pneumonia and was in hospital for 3 weeks. After I was discharged, I was very weak. Suddenly I developed blisters in my mouth the size of a thumbnail. I could no longer eat anything and could only drink with a straw. After many different medications, they were at a loss at the hospital. Nothing helped. The blisters disappeared after 6 weeks but small ulcers developed in my mouth. Even the painful treatment with lapis sticks in hospital was only partially successful.

At the age of 37 and after numerous bouts of pneumonia and hospital stays, I developed severe pain in my lower abdomen. After many examinations, the doctors thought I had edometriosis. The adhesions in my abdomen were loosened and removed during an operation. However, the pain and inflammation in the bowel remained. After several attempts at medication, all the doctors I consulted no longer knew what to do.

I lost my job at the age of 40 because I had too much sick leave. I was desperate. I sat at home and scrolled through the internet.
Here I discovered ÖSPID (Österreichische Selbsthilfe Primärer Immun-Defekte). I read on their homepage that an immunodeficiency could cause pneumonia as well as inflammation of the intestines. I contacted the self-help group and asked for help. Here I was referred to a specialist in immunology who, after taking a blood sample to determine my immune values, immediately diagnosed me with CVID.

I was given immunoglobulins as medication. I had to learn how to stick a small needle into my stomach. The infusion of immunoglobulin then flowed into my body using a pump. I couldn't believe it - it helped. The pain stopped and there were no more lung infections.
I was surprised to learn that CVID is a primary immunodeficiency, i.e. it is genetically inherited. Nevertheless, I only developed the disease at the age of 35.

If I hadn't had this therapy with immunoglobulins, I don't know how I could have gone on living. But now I lead a normal life, have found work again and look forward to every new day with my family.

My son Daniel was born in 1992. He had a real umbilical cord knot at birth and did not cry immediately. I breastfed him and noticed that he often had little or no appetite. This condition worsened after the first triple vaccination (Di-Tet-Pert). At the age of two and a half months. From then on, I had to have my son's weight checked weekly at the mother's consultation, as he had even lost weight during this time. I often thought about how I could feed him better, but had to realize that he simply couldn't eat any more.

On his first birthday, he weighed just over 9 kg. From the age of 13 months, he had affective seizures, which always occurred suddenly and without fever. At the beginning he was sometimes even unconscious for longer periods. I later found out that his father's sister also had such seizures in infancy.

On his 2nd birthday, he had another seizure. I found him lying on the floor and did not bring him back to consciousness for the time being. As he was breathing, I gave him Stesolid suppositories. The helicopter came for us. The emergency doctor said he was just asleep. He woke up again in hospital.
The cramps became milder. He was 4 years old when he had his last seizure. After being unconscious for a few seconds, he simply continued to walk as if nothing had happened.

Tricycles and pedal cars were avoided out of fear, at the most he would ride for a whole metre on a trial basis. At around 3 years old, he often got bronchitis and middle ear infections. In the winter after his 4th birthday, he had pneumonia twice. Lung x-rays were taken again - no conspicuous findings. A later check revealed that he had been X-rayed lying down at the time of the last lung X-ray. It was then discovered that he already had a real hole in his lung, but that this could not be seen on a prone X-ray.

In the summer after his 5th birthday, he was suddenly no longer able to sleep lying down at night. He wanted to spend the night sitting up. As he got worse and worse, we drove to the doctor on duty at night. There he felt much better again (after a 10 km drive in a sitting position). From there we were sent to the children's ward of the hospital with a suspicion of appendicitis. When they listened to his lungs, nothing was found. The doctors offered me the chance to wait there for the rest of the night until 8 a.m. to have an X-ray of my lungs.

This revealed not only the hole but also water in the lungs. The doctors quickly clarified the situation. Unfortunately, his recovery made little progress despite venous administration of antibiotics. On the 11th day of his stay in hospital, I found out about the problems with his immunoglobulin levels. From then on, he was mainly treated in the children's ward of the hospital.

Especially from this longer stay in hospital after his 5th birthday, it was a huge change for us. He was often on infusions for many hours a day, sometimes with immunoglobulins, then again with antibiotics. For 8 years he was regularly treated intravenously with immunoglobulins, the last time at two-week intervals. As a layman and mother, I was very worried about the veins, more than the organizational effort that always arose.

Fortunately for all of us, he was able to switch to subcutaneous treatment, i.e. infusion under the skin, before his 13th birthday. However, it is a great relief for everyone, as Daniel no longer has to spend his time in hospital receiving infusions. We can administer the subcutaneous dose of immunoglobulins at home in his familiar surroundings. After switching to the subcutaneous administration of immunoglobulins, his health improved noticeably and he also put on some weight again.

After a while, however, he developed severe conjunctivitis. His eyes were very red and so swollen that he couldn't see anything. All the medication didn't help him. It was only when we had a check-up with my immunoglobulins that he was helped. His dose of immunoglobulins had to be increased as he had grown a lot and put on weight. He was also prescribed long-term antibiotic therapy. After ½ year, the conjunctivitis was also overcome. He was also able to stop taking the antibiotics.

Unfortunately, he will remain very susceptible to eye inflammation for the rest of his life. Despite the many problems and setbacks, Daniel managed to graduate from school and even went on to attend a technical college. Thanks to the immunoglobulins, Daniel can now lead an almost normal life.