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Hartung described in a first-person account written last month how she was frustrated by the process of figuring out how to donate.

“I filled out the American Red Cross online donor request form, a very simple questionnaire asking if you were diagnosed with a COVID-19 lab test,” she wrote. “And then I waited. Quarantined at home, I had nothing but time.”

Three weeks after volunteering and more than 28 days symptom-free, she was finally able to donate.

“In less than an hour, 650 milliliters of my 'golden' plasma filled a bag. It was a rather painless process,” she wrote. “The brief physical discomfort I felt was a small price to pay for the potential payoff.”

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A post shared by Kaylee Hartung (@kayleehartung) on Apr 27, 2020 at 10:22am PDT

The Red Cross informed Hartung her plasma was sent to help three critically ill patients. They tracked one unit to Pomona Valley Hospital where they learned the results for Macias were almost immediate.

“It was just right away the next day, he started doing better,” Macias’ nurse, Lisa Diaz told “GMA.”

Just three days after receiving the plasma transfusion, Macias was taken off the ventilator, according to Diaz. He was finally able to breathe on his own.

After 33 days in the hospital, Macias was released. Back home, his family organized a surprise of a lifetime – a car parade of friends and family to welcome him, including Hartung.

\"PHOTO:
Jenna Harrison/ABC News
PHOTO: Kaylee Hartung poses for a photo with her plasma recipient, Daniel Macias, a COVID-19 survivor, his wife, Maritza, and his nurse, Lisa Diaz.
>

“Kaylee, you gave me something that only the Lord can do with you,” Macias told Hartung. “Thank you, I love you, I’m here for you.”

“The greatest honor of my life is to be able to do this for you,” Hartung replied.

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