Claudia Campenella is a 31-year-old who works as a student support administrator, but in her free time she donates her fecal matter.
“Some of my friends think it is a bit weird or disgusting, but it doesn’t worry me,” Campenella said. “It’s very easy to donate and I just want to help with medical research. I’m glad to contribute.” Her poo is swarmed with “good bugs” and is put into the gut of an ill patient to help with their stomach issues.
Some donors are better than others, having just the right mixture of poo to be the remedy for people’s gut problems. “Our hope is that if we can discover how this happens, then we can improve the success of fecal transplantation and even trial it for new microbiome-associated conditions like Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis and asthma,” said Dr. Justin O’Sullivan.
It’s very easy to find out if you qualify as a “super poo donor” according to Campenella. “I collect my fresh sample at home in a container that my hospital provides. Then I drop it off to the hospital as I pass by it on my way to work. It’s just a little bit of effort.”
