BioLife Plasma Services review: Unfair ban

I went in for my physical appointment and first donation at the Tukwila BioLife center on 6/21/23.

During the medical questionnaire, I was asked about allergies. I stated that I had an allergy to one medication and seasonal allergies. I said that my eyes were typically watery or itchy due to pollen. I was told that since I was experiencing allergies, I would not be able to donate. I asked multiple followup questions about whether or not seasonal allergies would result in a permanent ban and was told that it was only a deferral for that day and that I could come back the next day. I said that this was a persistent issue that I took eyedrops for and that I did not mean the allergies were severe - eyedrops were all that was needed. I was shocked that such a small thing could result in a deferral and I asked if I should not list the allergies unless they were severe in the future and inquired about any other issues that may cause a deferral that I should be aware of. I asked this question because I did not want to go through the hours long process all over again if I was going to be deferred. I also came to BioLife because I am experiencing a financial crisis and I did not want to put myself in the position of paying for the transportation there and back again multiple times if something such as pollen allergies could cause a deferment. I was told to just be honest when answering the questions and was told again that I could come back the next day.

When I went to the front desk to make an appointment, I showed them my eyedrops and explained the situation. I said that I did want to make an appointment for the next day, but that I wanted to make sure the allergies or the fact that I use the eyedrops daily would not be an issue. The person at the front desk got the manager to confirm this, and the manager spoke with the nurse who did my physical. After the manager spoke to the nurse, he told me that I had received a permanent deferral with BioLife and would never be able to donate in the future. He said the nurse told him that I had tried to go back on my answers and claim that I didn't have allergies and that I asked what I could lie about in the future to make sure I could donate. This is not at ALL what happened. I was only trying to clarify what could cause a deferral in the future so that I could avoid the same situation in the future and schedule appointments around any issues like the allergies.

I asked how it made sense that I tried to go back on my answers if I brought the eyedrops to the front desk and asked about them upfront. I stated that the nurse said I could come back the next day and asked why she would recommend this if I had a permanent deferral. I even offered to bring medical records with me so that there was no question on whether or not I was being truthful about my history. The manager told me that once a nurse entered into the system that someone was lying, there was nothing he could do. He said that he would speak to the nurse about being truthful with patients about what they can expect on their next visist, but he could not remove the ban.