Blood Transfusion related Hepatitis C

[sbd5251]

I was wondering how many of the people on here got HCV from a blood transfusion?  In 1989 my daughter received a blood transfusion which resulted in HCV infection.   She died in 2004 and in trying to understand how this could have happened, I discovered that the blood supply in the United States is horrible.  I sued the Red Cross, who wanted to settle with me, which I did not do because I would have had to sign a confidentiality statement. The suit was dismissed because of a statute of limitations issue.  The Red Cross never understood that is was not about money it was about them cleaning up the blood supply.

[sbd5251]

I talked with my lawyer today and i have a letter that I am sending to my Congressional delegation because they have been no help for me.  He is willing to help any of you on here that he can.  If you have gotten hepatitis C in the past several years, he would like to know some of the details.  He will be glad to look at it and recommend a lawyer in your state. He will research the laws in your state to see if we can group all of you in one suit.  I believe that my congressional delegation will do nothing  The only way we are going to get them to make any changes is to hit the where it hurts----in the pocket.  I would be glad to post the letter that he and I wrote if anyone is interested.

[kittyface]

I'm so sorry you lost your daughter due to the irresponsible and negligent practices by the agency charged with our safety.  I received HCV from a 1982 blood transfusion and wasn't diagnosed for 25 years.  I share your outrage and am still frequently pissed off at the government for my past and present health problems.   Not productive but can't help it.

I have seen minutes of meetings between the FDA and Red Cross in 1969 stating that 10% of recipients were contracting a hepatitis yet the FDA did not require Red Cross to implement screening tests (liver enzyme panels) because they were too expensive ($2.39) and would decrease the donor pool!  Yet shortly after this the federal National Institute of Health screened THEIR blood but not the public's.  Unbelievable!   As for today only God and the Red Cross know what's circulating in the blood supply.  And you can bet they're not telling us!  I met someone who contracted HCV from a surgery in 2002.  

The same scenario occurred in Canada and the citizens received an apology and several thousand dollars in compensation.  In America nobody is accountable.  I was unsuccessful in locating an attorney to sue the responsible parties.  Please PM me and I'll do what I can to support your efforts.  I admire you for tackling this.

Kittyface

[Magnum]

You should always be an analogous donor (give your own blood before surgery).
Unfortunately, Medicare does not pay for that anymore. So, if you want to give your own blood, it's $480 per pint! (at least here in Las Vegas). I don't know if a standard insurance pays for it or not.

At any rate, the last time I gave blood before this cut off by Medicare, I spoke to the lab tech and she said no blood is 100% virus free. There is a potential of HIV and HCV and other strange and creepy things....

Magnum

[meakea]

Nutpea, I posted earlier about a person that I know through another Hep C site that had sold plasma for YEARS along with her husband.  It was only about 5 years ago that she got a call back to the plasma center to a face to face meeting telling her that she tested positive for Hep C.  Subsequently, her Hepatologist told her that it was obvious to him (from testing) that she has had HCV for at least 25-30 years which coincides with her teenage drug years.  And then there's the story of your mother so it got me wondering about the testing procedures for plasma (which I would have thought would be the same as for donating blood).  I searched out the screening regs for plasma and came up with the following:

What type of medical screening and testing is done?
The U.S. and most countries in Western Europe require that all plasma donors submit to a pre-donation physical, including medical history questions, tests for transmissible viruses such as Hepatitis B and C and HIV, total plasma protein levels and hematocrit/hemoglobin levels. The plasma protein therapeutics industry’s International Quality Plasma Program (IQPP)-certification requires additional donor screening, donor education on high risk behavior and residency requirements.

So...there are regs in place but they are obviously only words on paper unless they are enforced by the people who are working with the plasma.  Since there's money involved with plasma, it makes me wonder.

[sbd5251]

I have been greatly encouraged by all of you and thank you from the bottom of  my heart.  I am not going away as long as you are here cheering me on with my battle.

[sbd5251]

I was doubting myself last night again.   But I read a daily devotional, and I read one that said there was one second between now and then.   Now on earth and then walking with God and we have three three things between the two---Faith, Hope and Love.  I have the faith that God has put me in this place and on this path.  I hope that I  can do it as He wants it done and I am sure he will correct me when I start going wrong.  And the love I have for God and Candace to do what I need to do.  I promised Candace and God,  that I would do everything I could to see that this never happened to another child.  

Thank you for your kind words and encouragement.