“The men and women of the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office are dedicated professionals, committed to serving their communities and helping their fellow citizens,” said Sheriff Koutoujian. “These 11 employees decided to create something positive out of their diagnosis, and it is a real testament to their selflessness. I am incredibly proud of them for their thoughtfulness and desire to help others.”
The plasma of recovered Covid-19 individuals – also known as convalescent plasma – contains numerous proteins developed by that individual’s immune system to overcome the virus. These antibodies have become the basis of medical interventions for patients with life-threatening diagnoses of Covid-19, as well as research into potential vaccines for the novel coronavirus.
“I’m lucky enough to have fully recovered from Covid-19 on my own,” said Crystal Miske, program coordinator for MATADOR, which stands for Medication-Assisted Treatment and Directed Opioid Recovery. “With that, and just two hours of my time I could potentially save the lives of three people. If I have the ability to give back by donating plasma to those who may not be as lucky to recover on their own, it’s a no brainer for me. If it could save only one person, or buy a family a few more moments or days with their loved one, I’d still do it. If you can help, you should.”
“Seeing the selflessness of all my colleagues when I was out of work, I felt bad I wasn’t able to be there to help,” said Officer Shawn Ankenbauer. “I was inspired when I saw the doctors, nurses and others working weekends, nights and holidays to do their parts. It was great to see everyone coming together and working together. That’s what made me want to donate – to do my part to help.”
To learn more about plasma donations, click here >>
This news announcement was published Thursday, July 2, 2020.
