Bill “The Thrill” #77: from car race champion to Partners for Life champion

Avid car racer Bill started to experience puzzling symptoms in February 2021, when his eyelids started closing involuntarily. He also started to experience difficulty swallowing and slurred speech. These symptoms persisted for a few months, until they worsened to the point that Bill couldn’t drive because of double vision. He couldn’t swallow his food, and his lungs started to be affected too.  

By the time his son took him to see a neurologist, Bill’s health was in crisis. The neurologist diagnosed a rare autoimmune disease and prescribed a medication called immunoglobulin, which can only be made from donated plasma.  

Today, Bill continues to receive immunoglobulin every three weeks as part of his treatment.  

Bill and his friends and family are extremely grateful to the plasma donors who helped save his life and who continue to donate the plasma needed for his ongoing treatment. Now, Bill’s goal is to share his story to inspire more people in the St. Catharines community to become plasma donors. 

Last July, Bill and his sister created a Partners for Life group with an initial pledge of 20 donations in 2023. As of late fall, they had already reached a total of 55 donations and decided not to stop there. They increased their pledge to 77 plasma donations in honour of Bill’s racing name and number: Bill “The Thrill” #77. 

To join the Bill the Thrill #77 Warriors Partners for Life team, sign in to your account and click here: https://myaccount.blood.ca/en/join-team/BILL0113287