Jason Granado, 27, lives with his family in Brownsville, Texas, where he enjoys watching movies, going out to restaurants, spending time outdoors and singing along to his favorite artist Keith Urban. When he was 3, he was diagnosed with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). But his bleeding disorder, von Willebrand Disease (VWD), wouldn’t be identified until he was an adolescent after years of serious nose bleeds.
His mother Sulema Granado knows a lot about the condition. Not only does she care for Jason but she also works at the CSL Plasma center in Brownsville, Texas, as a Medical Operations Supervisor. CSL Plasma, with nearly 350 donation centers around the world, is one of the largest collectors of donated human plasma. Plasma is needed to make medicines for rare and serious diseases, including von Willebrand Disease.
Granado joined CSL Plasma nine years ago and Jason has been part of the Plasma P.A.L.S. (Patients and Lifesavers) program for seven years. He visits donation centers in the Brownsville, Harlingen, Hidalgo, McAllen and Weslaco communities to help educate about the need for plasma-based medicines. Without plasma donors, these medicines could not be made.
“Throughout the years, we went through many situations regarding Jason’s health and well-being. These situations molded us as his advocate for life,” she said. “As a family, we value the need for plasma-based therapies and we also donate our own plasma to help our loved one and others like him.”
Donations at CSL Plasma supply biotech company CSL Behring, a business unit of CSL, with plasma that is processed at a fractionation facility. Fractionation separates plasma into proteins, including coagulation factor, needed by those who live with bleeding disorders, including VWD and hemophilia.
“VWD is a bleeding disorder caused by low levels of clotting protein in blood,” Granado said. “For us, this means we must be very cautious Jason doesn't hurt or injure himself, which causes excessive bleeding.”
She has a simple message for the CSL Plasma community.
“As Jason’s biggest advocate and as his mother, I wish to thank all CSL plasma employees and plasma donors near and far for your continued support,” she said.
