A Memphis doctor who was diagnosed with COVID-19 and made a full recovery was the first person to donate convalescent plasma to Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, which is participating in  Mayo Clinic’s Expanded Access Protocol for Convalescent Plasma Program for treatment of patients with COVID-19.

Dr. Daniel Wakefield, a radiation oncology resident in Memphis, hopes his story will encourage others to follow in his footsteps.

Dr. Wakefield was tested for COVID-19 when he developed a cough after working at a COVID-19 testing site in Memphis. After testing positive, he self-quarantined at home with his wife, who also contracted the virus. Even in the same household, their experiences fighting the coronavirus were not the same.

“I was almost asymptomatic except for a day, but my wife was very sick for two weeks,” he explained. “It was pretty scary. I’m really glad she turned a corner.”

Thankfully, they both made full recoveries and have been clear since.

On April 21, Dr. Wakefield became the first recovered COVID-19 patient to donate convalescent plasma as part of this program. For him, the decision to donate was simple.

“It’s the right thing to do. There are a lot of people who need it. I’m actually a radiation oncology resident, and my patients are really my primary motivation,” he explained.

Convalescent plasma is the liquid part of the blood that is collected from people who have recovered from COVID-19. Researchers believe receiving that plasma may help current COVID-19 patients with advanced illness. The antibodies in the plasma may have the ability to help patients fight the virus and recover more quickly.

Dr. Wakefield was at the forefront of the MLH program’s effort. He knew about the research surrounding convalescent plasma donation and treatment, and he stayed in touch with a friend in the medical field throughout his COVID-19 treatment and recovery.

Once he recovered, Dr. Wakefield was re-tested for COVID-19 to make sure he was negative. At that point, he was eligible to donate.

He described the donation process as “pretty streamlined.”

“I went to the blood donation center to give plasma, and it was very easy. It was about an hour and relatively painless,” Dr. Wakefield said.

The donation of convalescent plasma is not a one-time thing. Dr. Wakefield plans to continue giving — and he’s even trying to recruit others to help.

“The policy at the donation center allows a donation every seven days. I plan on going back and donating again,” he said. “I have some friends who are also positive who I’m trying to get set up as well.”

People interested in donating convalescent plasma to help current COVID-19 patients must have had a prior, verified diagnosis of COVID-19, be symptom-free and fully recovered for at least 14 days at the time of donation and have a negative nasal swab test if recovery has been less than 28 days.

Fully recovered COVID-19 patients can visit www.vitalant.org/COVIDfree for further instructions on donating plasma.