AKRON, Ohio — Some struggling students wait tables or babysit for extra cash, but other young adults are rolling up their sleeves to make ends meet. Plot twist: they’re not doing manual labor.
“I heard about it through my buddy when I lost my job,” Maverick Quiggle said, “And he’s like, ‘Well, they give you about 80-something bucks a week.’”
It’s a recently popular form of income that’s given a renewed meaning to the saying "blood, sweat and tears." People are now turning their plasma into an extra paycheck.
“It helps a lot,” Quiggle said. “I get insurance paid, smokes and my gas. That’s about all I need.”
A recent college graduate who did not want to be identified said her donations keep sick patients alive, and the financial reward keeps her afloat.
“At one point it was essential. My hours had gotten cut down to like four hours a week working on campus, and this was how I ate,” she said. “This was how I had gas money.”
Chase Jenkins, a sophomore at the University of Akron, said he’s given blood in the past, but he now plans to look into getting paid for his donation.
“I don’t have a job so like that extra money would be very beneficial for me especially,” Jenkins said, “So that’s something I’m like definitely gonna look forward to in the future.”
Plasma donation centers have varying weight and age restrictions for donors. Documented side effects include nausea, dizziness and dehydration.
