TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – People who get sick from the coronavirus are left to wonder how long their immunity will last, but a local couple found a way to help others while making sure they still have antibodies.

Wendy and Matt Pivarnik both had mild cases of the coronavirus at the same time.

“Higher fever and congestion and i lost my taste and smell and i still have not gotten that back,” Wendy said.

The two quarantined themselves for days until their fever broke.

“The first thing that went through my mind was I can’t believe this is happening to me… because I didn’t think it would happen to me,” Matt said.

Matt runs the Greater Topeka Partnership and went public as soon as he got sick. He and his wife said they are some of the lucky ones and want now help others by donating their plasma.
Jed Gorlin is the medical director for the Community Blood Center in Kansas City.

“We absolutely think it’s important, the federal government has enough confidence in this therapy to ask us to store up to 300 thousand units,” Gorlin said. “And if we don’t collect it, we can’t store it.”

Gorlin said about 98% of the plasma they are collecting is going to local hospitals for experimental treatments, Which is the way the Pivarniks feel they can have the most impact.