"Thanks for saving our Brodie"

When Brodie was just five weeks old, his parents received a call from the Royal Children’s Hospital. A moment Sarah, Brodie’s mother, remembers all too well. As her husband Damien held the phone, his face instantly relayed the bad news. Brodie had been diagnosed with a very rare immune deficiency. “We were devastated,” recalls Sarah, “we cried and cuddled on the couch for hours holding our newborn baby.”

Without weekly infusions of plasma, Brodie wouldn’t be able to live the healthy, normal life he does today. The generosity of plasma donors overwhelms Sarah. “How do you begin to thank someone who has helped keep your son alive? Without blood donors, Brodie would not be with us today.”

Growing up with a brother suffering from the same condition, the realities of Brodie's treatment were all too familiar for Sarah, but familiarity didn’t make it any easier. In fact, watching Brodie receive his first treatment at just eight weeks of age was anything but easy. “To say it was hard is an understatement.”

Aside from immunoglobulin infusions, Brodie is lucky to enjoy a normal life – thanks to plasma donations. And at just six years old, he’s already giving back to the donation community. Brodie has held the hand of many first-timers as they donate plasma. “His bright and bubbly personality is a beautiful distraction and a perfect reminder of why they are there in the first place.” 

Families just like Brodie’s rely on regular donors for ongoing treatment, and Sarah is forever grateful. “With every donation you are saving someone’s life. Someone like our Brodie.” In fact, unless he can find a bone marrow donor, Brodie will rely on these infusions for the rest of his life.

The need for plasma is real, and it’s easy to donate. Learn more about donating plasma.