Lee Montgomery doesn鈥檛 like to be idle.聽Yet, after 40 years operating his own ceramics manufacturing business with his wife, often working 70 hours a week, retirement sounded good.聽They moved from California to Idaho to be closer to grandkids but found they had excess time on their hands and retirement lost its charm. So both found聽jobs and returned to the workforce.聽

Then COVID-19 struck.

Lee 鈥渃elebrated鈥� his 82 birthday in a local hospital with both the COVID-19 virus and pneumonia.聽But he recovered, and soon the Montgomerys had another celebratory event.聽They made the last payment on their house, and Lee decided he would try retirement again.聽聽

Staying at home and relaxing still did not suit him, so he decided to find a place to volunteer and put his time and energy to use.聽He found a position聽that pleased him 鈥� volunteering as a medical screener at Red Cross blood drives.聽He had given blood frequently while living in California and knew the good that donations could do.聽Now he works at聽putting people at ease and helping them sign in as they arrive to make their own gifts of blood.

He likes his volunteer work, and the Red Cross likes him.聽 He is a welcome and familiar face at drives conducted all over Boise, and he enjoys the camaraderie he feels when he鈥檚 there helping. And he helps a lot 鈥� three to four times weekly.

When Lee heard about the convalescent plasma program designed to help seriously ill COVID-19 patients, he knew he wanted to be part of it.聽The convalescent plasma program involves providing antibody-rich聽plasma of those fully recovered from the disease to currently hospitalized patients.

Lee figured he was a perfect candidate and signed up to donate.

鈥淚f my pint of plasma will help another, they are welcome to it,鈥� he said.聽 鈥淲e have got to try everything we can to get ahead of this thing.鈥澛�

Lee plans to donate again very soon. Donating plasma doesn鈥檛 take much longer than donating blood.聽

鈥淛ust come in and relax and let the machine do the work,鈥� Lee advises.

Those who have recovered from COVID-19 are eligible to donate convalescent plasma. Sign up to donate by visiting .

To be eligible to give, convalescent plasma an individual must be:

• In good health and generally feel well.
• Have a prior, verified diagnosis of COVID-19, but are now symptom-free and fully recovered from COVID-19 and at least 14 days from the last date of symptoms.