GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — 20-year-old Grace Biermacher believes she got coronavirus while studying abroad in Europe.
"I was symptomatic from the 8th to the 11th with a fever and chills and like a super cruddy cough and a lot of congestion," says Biermacher.
But after a few days she started feeling better and has now fully recovered.
On Thursday, Grace became the first person in Michigan to donate plasma after having coronavirus.
Dr. Lee Ann Weitekamp says Grace's antibody rich plasma will now be transfused and used to treat up to 3 seriously ill COVID-19 patients.
"After you've had the disease and you get better you have antibodys in your blood that fight the infection," says Weitekamp.
The donation will also be sent to research labs who will study the plasma and try to find a cure.
"In the past there have been respiratory viruses that have shown some benefit from getting convalescent plasma, we don't know how this virus will respond," says Weitekamp.
As for Grace, she just wants to help.
"I am lucky to be 20 years old and have a good immune system to be able to recover from it when some people can't and my plasma and antibody's can be super helpful to the research," says Biermacher.
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