Donated plasma saved a pregnant mother's baby boy
Chrissy Prickard's third pregnancy changed her life in ways she never expected. She developed antibodies to her baby’s blood, a condition called Rh incompatibility. Antibodies are proteins made by your immune system that identify and help it target foreign substances. Rh incompatibility happens when a mother lacks the Rhesus D (Rh) protein on her red blood cells, so her body treats a baby with Rh positive blood as a threat. When Prickard developed anti-D antibodies during that pregnancy, access to anti-D plasma became the difference between life and death for her baby. Now, she dedicates herself to ensuring other families have the same life-saving resource that saved her son.
The news came as a shock.
"I found out about 6 weeks into my pregnancy with my third child. Blood work came back, and I was shocked to see [anti-D] antibodies," Prickard recalled.
Despite following all recommended protocols for a pregnancy at risk for Rh incompatibility, mainly being preventative sensitization through administration of Rho(D) immune globulin (RhIg), her body had become sensitized. Doctors referred her to fetal medicine, where a scan detected low red blood cells in her baby's brain. The situation escalated quickly. Her son arrived a month early through an emergency C-section with a bilirubin level more than twice the typical level. Bilirubin is a yellowish, toxic byproduct produced when the liver breaks down old red blood cells, and too much of it can cause liver and brain damage. The family spent the following weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), watching their newborn fight for his health.
Pickard learned that each subsequent pregnancy raises the risks for the baby more than the last. Her experience with her son made the decision clear—she was finished with childbearing. But rather than simply moving forward, Prickard decided to transform her trauma into purpose. She became an anti-D plasma donor herself.
Finding a donation center proved easier than she expected. Fortunately, a specialized anti-D collection facility operated only about 40 minutes from her home, a stroke of luck considering that only a handful of such centers exist across the country. Still, committing to regular donations hasn't been simple. Finalizing the decision to not have any more children, by becoming sterile, was difficult but necessary in order to qualify as a donor. The logistics present ongoing challenges too—arranging childcare for her son during donation appointments, which can last up to four hours with travel, is difficult. Despite these obstacles, Prickard has remained committed to donating consistently over the past three years.
Her dedication stems from firsthand knowledge of what anti-D plasma means to desperate families. Every donation carries the potential to save lives, to spare other parents the terror she experienced in that NICU.
"Donating anti-D plasma is one of the most beneficial things you can do," Prickard emphasized. "If you are willing and able, check to see if you have the antibodies because you are helping whole families, potentially helping the next Mozart."
Through her sacrifice, Prickard ensures that her son's difficult start leads to hope for countless others.
More Heroes
Find a donation center
Donate blood plasma. Be a hero. Locate a plasma donation center near you.
