The opportunity presented by OpenBiome is a rare one, donate healthy poop and see rewards of up to $13,000 annually. But, there is a serious reason behind the cliche worthy headlines. The donated poop is sent to patients who struggle with C. difficile, an aggressive and intense intestinal bug that afflicts more than 500,000 Americans, every year. Donating poop for this worthy cause is not as easy as it seems. There is a strict testing process for donors and only 4 percent of those who actually express interest become approved donors.
Donors are treasures for the company, since they need exceptionally healthy people and the ability to connect with their donors up to five times a week.
OpenBiome pays $40 for a sample, but offers an extra $50 bonus for donors who offer to come into a center five days a week to donate. That is $250 weekly, and amounts to $13,000 annually for the samples. The company has shipped the feces from its donors to more than 185 hospitals and have successfully treated C. difficile patients. Dr. Mark Smith from MIT quipped it is “harder to become a donor than it is get into MIT,” he is also the co-founder of OpenBiome.
What specifically is C. difficile? Its medical name is clostridium difficile, and it is a bacterium that inflames the colon, leading to colitis.
The bacteria can lead to pain, and continued issues when those infected touch items around them, and others touch those same surfaces and then touch their mouths. Symptoms of the condition include abdominal pain, nausea, watery diarrhea and fever. Many patients also report a loss of appetite.
The most effective treatment for the illness is actually not found in antibiotics, but rather in fecal transplants, hence the importance of involvement by OpenBiome.
The founders of the company are happy donors want to apply, but do forewarn a strict process is ahead before final acceptance. While donors enjoy the sum of money added to their pocketbook on an annual basis, they are potentially saving the lives of those battling this painful illness.
For donors, it is an amazing $40 per stool donor, but for recipients, it is an extension and priceless addition to their lives. To learn more on how to become a donor, visit the OpenBiome website.