"I love my freezer," Carlos says cheerfully. "Negative 45 degrees." Carlos' freezer is where donated plasma is stored. The plasma is the portion of blood that contains proteins and disease-fighting antibodies. It will be sent to one of three processing centers — in Illinois, Switzerland or Germany — where it will be made into pharmaceutical products. ZLB allows donors to give twice a week. Donors are paid about $25 to $40.
ZLB's spokespeople like to say that their donors come from all walks of life, which is true. But neighbors say the plasma center encourages drug addicts to trade blood for drugs. Dealers sometimes stand near the center waiting for addicts to walk out with their newfound cash. Some say dealers will front drugs to addicts waiting at the center — at twice the usual street price — knowing that they will have money in their pockets once they donate.
In the historic urban neighborhood surrounding ZLB, a lot of restoration has been going on lately. Old drug houses and by-the-hour hotels have been boarded up or torn down. Just west of Broadway, the Valentine area, with its stately old houses, would be among midtown's nicest neighborhoods if it weren't for the addicts that frequent ZLB.
Those addicts complicate Carlos' smoke breaks.
"I was out here one day, and a guy snatched my bag," Carlos says. "I beat his ass. We rolled right out there to the middle of Broadway." He points at the place with the lit end of his smoke.
Just then, four guys in baggy jeans and puffy coats approach the plasma center. They post up comfortably by the door.
The ZLB worker next to Carlos advises them, "You better move on. Security guard is right in that van." A white van blocks the entrance to the ZLB parking lot while a large truck is being loaded with biohazardous waste.
The men shuffle down to the end of the building. "We don't have a uniform on," Carlos says. "They don't know."
Just past the building, the men stop again, still aimless but off ZLB's property. Matt Martin sat on his porch drinking from a large green bottle of Perrier on a recent chilly afternoon. Martin lives on Washington, the street just west of Broadway on the 3700 block. Like many of the houses on his block, Martin's is a two-story shirtwaist with a limestone façade and a wide, sturdy porch. And like many residents in the Valentine and Broadway-Gillham neighborhoods, Martin says the plasma center depresses the area.
"It draws drug addicts, drug dealers, the unemployed, vagrants," he says. "Why not open a place like that closer to the hospitals in the community? It would make more sense to me to have a place like this closer to Truman or Kansas University. They could treat these people and offer more services. This is just ripping them off here and taking their body parts, is what it is."
Chris Jordan, co-president of the Valentine Neighborhood Association and a board member of the Broadway/Westport Council, says her two neighborhood groups banded together to start a security fund last year. They hired Westport Security guards to patrol Broadway on bikes for three months last summer, at a cost of $27,000. During those three months, residents said they felt safer on the streets.
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HCinKC,
"The problem is NOT the Plasma Center but the Cops NOT busting the dealers loitering outside. If the local Cops stopped trolling for hookers & spent more time hanging out"...
To:HC IN KC
The KCPD Cops are not doing their job. They need to get in gear and do their JOBS !!!
A blind man could stumble over the drug dealers. I see it in front of me all day.
You don't have to go to college to see the crime I see. They talk about developing "Downtown" but how are you gonna do that with all the Drugs down here.
HCinKC, "The problem is NOT the Plasma Center but the Cops NOT busting the dealers loitering outside. If the local Cops stopped trolling for hookers & spent more time hanging out"... To:HC IN KC The KCPD Cops are not doing their job. They need to get in gear and do their JOBS !!! A blind man could stumble over the drug dealers. I see it in front of me all day. You don't have to go to college to see the crime I see. They talk about developing "Downtown" but how are you gonna do that with all the Drugs down here.
are u fat u sound it from the article? please tell me you are it will make my day, cunt.
are u fat u sound it from the article? please tell me you are it will make my day, cunt.
HCinKC,
The problem is NOT the Plasma Center but the Cops NOT busting the dealers loitering outside. If the local Cops stopped trolling for hookers & spent more time hanging out
outside ZLB the dealers would go away. As for the Olde Hide Park Neiborhood Association
it's a joke. The guys running it took an effective association & trashed it with internal politics. Well what have they done for that area scense changing the name? Nothing.
Kansas City NEEDS Low income housing West of Main. They don't need $99,000 condos in a burst housing bubble.
Residents in the area need to demand KCPD start busing the dealers & Change the OHPN Association leadership toi someone who wants to improve the area for college kids going to the area colleges.
Ike
HCinKC, The problem is NOT the Plasma Center but the Cops NOT busting the dealers loitering outside. If the local Cops stopped trolling for hookers & spent more time hanging out outside ZLB the dealers would go away. As for the Olde Hide Park Neiborhood Association it's a joke. The guys running it took an effective association & trashed it with internal politics. Well what have they done for that area scense changing the name? Nothing. Kansas City NEEDS Low income housing West of Main. They don't need $99,000 condos in a burst housing bubble. Residents in the area need to demand KCPD start busing the dealers & Change the OHPN Association leadership toi someone who wants to improve the area for college kids going to the area colleges. Ike
Jay Parker you are a moron. You talk about saving millions of lives but yet we still have abortions. In Florida, 2005, around a figure of 91,000 babies were killed in one year. Now, if you stick to what is written in the article and your mind doesn't wonder off while reading. The article was complaining how area businesses and neighborhoods are sick of the crap that goes around ZLB plasma center. The owner says its not his problem even thou he does own it. How stupid is that statement for you. And you really can't do anything legal since the plasma centers owners live out of the state or nation. So in other words that area is just screwed.
Jay Parker you are a moron. You talk about saving millions of lives but yet we still have abortions. In Florida, 2005, around a figure of 91,000 babies were killed in one year. Now, if you stick to what is written in the article and your mind doesn't wonder off while reading. The article was complaining how area businesses and neighborhoods are sick of the crap that goes around ZLB plasma center. The owner says its not his problem even thou he does own it. How stupid is that statement for you. And you really can't do anything legal since the plasma centers owners live out of the state or nation. So in other words that area is just screwed.
It's too bad your paper could not do a story on the life saving therapeutic drugs produced by ZLB or other plasma collectors / fractionators. Those pharmaceuticals, infact, are in demand and in urgent need by sick children and patients around the world who desparately wait week to week for these products as they are waiting for the next donor to donate in Kansas City or elsewhere.
Too bad your subjective author was too ignorrant to fully understand the full impact of having no donors.......I guess ignorrance is Bliss when you are healthy
I guess sparing a few million lives around the world is more important than your lovely downtown corridor.......Before you do a damaging story like this, you should do your homework.
By the way, I will be passing your story on to various global patient advocacy groups that will want to respond to you, as well. Otherwise, enjoy your revitalized downtown.
It's too bad your paper could not do a story on the life saving therapeutic drugs produced by ZLB or other plasma collectors / fractionators. Those pharmaceuticals, infact, are in demand and in urgent need by sick children and patients around the world who desparately wait week to week for these products as they are waiting for the next donor to donate in Kansas City or elsewhere. Too bad your subjective author was too ignorrant to fully understand the full impact of having no donors.......I guess ignorrance is Bliss when you are healthy I guess sparing a few million lives around the world is more important than your lovely downtown corridor.......Before you do a damaging story like this, you should do your homework. By the way, I will be passing your story on to various global patient advocacy groups that will want to respond to you, as well. Otherwise, enjoy your revitalized downtown.
You said this, " And like many residents in the Valentine and Broadway-Gillham neighborhoods...."
You never hear about the Broadway-Gillham neighborhood. Its Old Hyde Park Historic District which borders the plasma center. This problem was been heard about in the past. See, same issues, same results.
When you say , And like many residents in the Valentine and Broadway-Gillham neighborhoods.
You hear nothing about Broadway-Gillham neighborhood. It's the Old Hyde Park Historic District which borders the Plasma center. Like this issue hasn't came up in the past. See, same story , same results.
You said this, " And like many residents in the Valentine and Broadway-Gillham neighborhoods...." You never hear about the Broadway-Gillham neighborhood. Its Old Hyde Park Historic District which borders the plasma center. This problem was been heard about in the past. See, same issues, same results.
You said this, " And like many residents in the Valentine and Broadway-Gillham neighborhoods...." You never hear about the Broadway-Gillham neighborhood. Its Old Hyde Park Historic District which borders the plasma center. This problem was been heard about in the past. See, same issues, same results.
When you say , And like many residents in the Valentine and Broadway-Gillham neighborhoods. You hear nothing about Broadway-Gillham neighborhood. It's the Old Hyde Park Historic District which borders the Plasma center. Like this issue hasn't came up in the past. See, same story , same results.
When you say , And like many residents in the Valentine and Broadway-Gillham neighborhoods. You hear nothing about Broadway-Gillham neighborhood. It's the Old Hyde Park Historic District which borders the Plasma center. Like this issue hasn't came up in the past. See, same story , same results.
Thank you for writing this story. All this time I was using my donor money to help out on bills, groceries, and rent. I, like almost every donor at that clinic, am struggling to get by in this wonderful city and take a bit of pride that I am contributing to life savings medicines and cures. This cash may help me get by one more month of living expenses, but it doesn't seem to get me out of my hard times. Now that I know that crack is right outside the door I think I'll take your suggestion & buy it up, ease my pains, just forget about it all, I'll always be able to get that fix twice a week.
Thank you for writing this story. All this time I was using my donor money to help out on bills, groceries, and rent. I, like almost every donor at that clinic, am struggling to get by in this wonderful city and take a bit of pride that I am contributing to life savings medicines and cures. This cash may help me get by one more month of living expenses, but it doesn't seem to get me out of my hard times. Now that I know that crack is right outside the door I think I'll take your suggestion & buy it up, ease my pains, just forget about it all, I'll always be able to get that fix twice a week.
Thank you for writing this story. All this time I was using my donor money to help out on bills, groceries, and rent. I, like almost every donor at that clinic, am struggling to get by in this wonderful city and take a bit of pride that I am contributing to life savings medicines and cures. This cash may help me get by one more month of living expenses, but it doesn't seem to get me out of my hard times. Now that I know that crack is right outside the door I think I'll take your suggestion & buy it up, ease my pains, just forget about it all, I'll always be able to get that fix twice a week.
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