From the frontlines to behind the screen nurse VTuber champions plasma
Four months ago, nurse and VTuber Riko Siempre began donating plasma, drawing inspiration from fellow VTuber Ironmouse. Ironmouse shares often on her platform how plasma helps her combat a primary immunodeficiency (PI), which is how Siempre first heard about plasma donation. Siempre’s decision to donate brings together his nearly 15-year nursing career and his passion for helping others through digital advocacy, creating a unique bridge between traditional healthcare and modern content creation.
Siempre's extensive nursing background shapes his distinctive perspective on plasma donation in ways most donors never experience. During his education and clinical rotations, he learned how plasma helps patients recover and survive critical conditions, but remained unfamiliar with the donation process itself. Now, experiencing donation firsthand builds his empathy for the dialysis patients he treats daily.
"Finding myself on the other side of the needle gives me a deeper understanding of what my patients go through," he explained.
This reversed perspective allows him to connect with patients on a more personal level, having walked in their shoes.
A life-changing spinal injury in 2018 profoundly influenced his donation journey and worldview. Living with physical limitations completely transformed his perspective on chronic illness and disability. Though he could have become paraplegic, he now walks with a cane or walker and continues his nursing career with renewed determination. The injury forced him to imagine alternative ways to help people if nursing became impossible, partly inspiring his venture into VTubing as a secondary path to impact lives.
"I had dreams of going into performance, loving singing and musical theatre," Siempre shared. "VTubing provides a creative outlet to express those passions despite limited physical ability."
Already a devoted gaming and anime enthusiast, he discovered Twitch during the pandemic's darkest moments, finding unexpected solace in streamers while working healthcare's demanding frontlines.
"As someone working the frontlines, I was looking for comfort and relief and found it in the VTube community," he said.
Starting last year, Siempre launched his own educational stream dedicated to healthcare advocacy. He now champions plasma donation and the Immune Deficiency Foundation to his growing followers, hoping his authentic story inspires others to give back to their communities.
"I love making change, even if it's small," Siempre reflected. "If one person can have their life changed, then I'd say ‘job well done.’"
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