​DAYTON, Ohio - Rosemary Saunders worried as she grew older about her adult son Ed with Down syndrome. Who would look out for him when she was no longer around?  Then COVID-19 came and turned the world upside down. 

The coronavirus has been capricious in the way it divides families. It took Ed's life on April 3 but spared Rosemary and her sister Margaret.  Eight weeks later, on May 28 the two sisters traveled from their homes in Pleasant Hill to donate COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma (CCP) side-by-side at the Dayton Community Blood Center.

Since early April, CBC has been collecting the antibody-rich plasma from COVID-19 survivors to help patients critically ill with the virus at local hospitals and outside the region.
 
"We do what we can do," said Rosemary as she turned to Margaret, "to make a good situation out of a bad situation."
Rosemary's son Ed Kauffman was 50 years old and diabetic, "but a pretty healthy and a happy boy," she said. He loved bowling, playing in the Riverside Bell Choir, and serving on the Champaign Residential Services, Inc. board.
 
"Ed and I talked about how one of us is going to probably have to live without the other," she said. "I tried to prepare him, so he'd know how to live without me. All that talking to him, now I had to learn to live without him. It's part of life. We lose people."
 
It was in late March that Ed began to show symptoms. "He had a great team and was doing pretty good for the first five days," said Rosemary. "It was up and down, and we knew it was out there, and we wanted to be careful.
 
"It took a bad turn. By the time we got him to the ER they had to sedate him and put him on the ventilator right away." He was transferred from Upper Valley Medical Center to Miami Valley Hospital, then placed in isolation.
 
"I never got to see him," said Rosemary. "The nurses tried to help me talk to him, comfort him, to hear my voice, but that was the most that we could do."

Rosemary knew she was exposed to COVID-19, but her symptoms were mild. "I self-isolated for two weeks and didn't have a test until April 17." A day and a half later she learned she was positive.
 
Meanwhile, Rosemary's sister Margaret Brown was working at SpringMeade Healthcare Center, a nursing care facility in Tipp City. "We knew what we were getting into," she said. "I had a fever, dizziness, body aches. I stayed home and got tested on March 26."
 
She got the results on April 5, two days after her nephew's death. "I was positive. I was in isolation for two weeks."
 
She learned that fear of COVID-19 outlives the infection. "People don't want to be around you," she said.
 
She read about participating in the CCP program on the CBC website. She printed out the doctor's form and called her sister.  Soon they were scheduling their plasma donations at CBC.
 
"They said we'll get you guys down here together so you can drive together," said Margaret. "I had never donated blood." Margaret finished her donation before Rosemary, then sat with her in the Donor Café.
 
"We wanted something good to come out of this for someone," said Margaret. "Something positive."
 
CBC COVID-19 CONVALESCENT PLASMA PROGRAM
To be eligible to give CCP donors must have a diagnosis of COVID-19 through RNA testing.  Potential donors can review the CCP eligibility criteria and doctors can complete and submit the form to qualify donors at www.GivingBlood.org. 

Hi everyone, I am Scott Delong, the President of CRSI, and I just wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude.
 
First and foremost, thank you to our outstanding team members. The CRSI team is continuing to work hard on the front lines, helping those we serve adapt to all the changes that have recently taken place and helping protect them during this pandemic.

Team, you are the heart and soul of what we do. Your hard work and dedication means the world to the people you care for and to their families. 
 
I would also like to express our gratitude for the generous support and donations throughout our communities for items we so desperately need. From masks to hand sanitizer and wipes, everything we need to stay safe, we can't thank you enough!
 
Also, to the Boards of Developmental Disabilities in the counties we serve, we cannot thank you enough for continuing to spread great information and resources to our teams. 
 
We are all in this together and we are proud to be a part of so many amazing communities!

CRSI is working diligently to ensure that both the individuals we serve and our team are taken care of through these challenging times. 

During this pandemic, we are in dire need of a few items for some of our most vulnerable.

1. Additional Staffing - Browse Our Employment Opportunities
2. Hand Sanitizer
3. Disinfectant Wipes/Disinfectant Spray
4. Forehead Thermometers

 
If you or someone you know has the desire to assist through employment or by sharing items you might have in excess, we would be very grateful. Please Contact Us or call 937-653-1320, pressing 0.

If you are unable to help with any of those needs, please know that we are very appreciative of your thoughts, prayers and support as well. Please help us spread the word by sharing our message.

The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) remains dedicated to health and public safety as the department responds to coronavirus (COVID-19).
 
Here are the latest guidance messages and resources from DODD.
 
Guidance
Guidance: COVID-19 Prevention for Intermediate Care Facilities
Guidance: COVID-19 Prevention for Waiver Providers of Multiple Residents in a Single Home
Guidance: COVID-19 Prevention for Individual and Family Home Waiver Settings

As a DSP, you will make a difference in the quality of life for those individuals we support.

Full-time, part-time, and flexible schedules are available.

If you want an opportunity to provide respect, compassion, and emotional support then APPLY HERE.
​