ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, December 16, 1996 TAG: 9612160028
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SANDRA BROWN KELLY STAFF WRITER
It happened on a Friday the 13th, but not the one last week, that a Vinton man became an example of why the Red Cross is always begging for blood. His experience also explains the scheduling of events such as Tuesday's "Donorama" at the Roanoke Civic Center, said Bob Ostrom, Red Cross blood specialist.
On Sept. 13, the man, who preferred to remain anonymous, was driving north on Interstate 81 near the last Salem exit.
Then something happened.
He doesn't remember how he wrecked his car, but the consequences of the accident remain vivid.
Here's what the wreck did to him:
*A wound above his right eye.
*All ribs on the right side broken.
*Four ribs on the left side broken.
*Sternum separated from the ribs.
*Right side of pelvic girdle shattered.
*Lungs bruised.
*Jaw broken in two places.
*Internal bleeding.
His condition was so serious that doctors had to wait for him to improve before they could do surgery. He needed blood transfusions before the surgery, and he also got six pints of blood during the first operation, which repaired everything but the jaw.
A second operation rebuilt his jaw.
Before it was over, he had been given 27 pints of blood, all of which came from free donations made by people like his wife, a regular giver. In reaction to his accident, his wife's colleagues at William Byrd High and William Byrd Middle schools gave or got others to give 15 pints in his name.
The injured man can't give blood because of medications he takes.
The Roanoke Valley Red Cross provides blood to 44 hospitals and five dialysis centers in an area from Grundy to Waynesboro to Farmville to Beckley, W.Va. It must collect a minimum of 250 pints daily to assure each of the facilities a supply.
Collections become more important in holiday seasons because of the possibility of more accidents and because no collections are made on special days such as Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's. That's the reason for Tuesday's donorama.
The Red Cross needs to bank about 1,400 pints of blood, Ostrom said. He also pointed out that while not all donated blood always gets used, most of the time it does. Blood has a 42-day shelf life. On average, blood collected by the Roanoke center stays on the shelf less than 10 days, he said.
Tuesday's event is designed for corporate and individual giving.
Employees coming from companies with blood drives have appointments from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. Individuals can drop in and hook up from 2 to 6 p.m. Baby-sitting will be provided during the afternoon public period.
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