It was Mike Urso’s senior year in high school when he was involved in a tragic motor vehicle accident.  He was on his way to an early morning rehearsal for a children’s play when a car and his motorcycle collided.  Mike was left unconscious, suffering from major injuries, and losing a lot of blood.  He went into a coma for over two weeks and from the time he entered the emergency room until he came out of his coma, doctors were skeptical that Mike would even survive.  And if he did, they feared severe mental and physical disabilities.  But Mike was a fighter and he started on a road to recovery after his accident.  He says, “the primary reason I did recover is the supply of blood that was donated to replenish my body and let it start healing.”  Ten years after his accident, Mike gave blood for the first time at a blood drive sponsored by his place of work.  He says, “during the process, I realized how easy one person could help save the life of another.”  Mike has since given over 18 gallons of blood products back to the community and he’s dedicated to reaching or exceeding the 25 gallon mark.  Mike tells others that, “if you know anyone who has needed blood, I would encourage you to be part of the supply - it is easy, safe, and gives you the great feeling of helping others.”

At the age of twenty two when most of his peers were carefree and dealing with daily stressors, Paul was struggling with a life changing experience.  He had detected a lump on the side of his neck and was suffering from months of night-sweats and dramatic weight loss.  After a couple of misdiagnoses, he entered Palos Community Hospital where he was correctly diagnosed with stage three Hodgkin’s lymphoma. After six months of chemotherapy, the disease went into remission.  Unfortunately, in December 2002, tests indicated that his Hodgkin’s disease had returned. His relapse was detected early on, but the chemotherapy regimen that followed would prove to be more intense and he needed a bone marrow transplant.  He relied on his mother for inspiration to keep his strength during treatment and overcome the disease, as she is a breast cancer survivor.  After three trying and turbulent years, Paul has been in remission since April 2003.  During his treatments, Paul needed many life saving blood products.  He tells anyone who considers being a blood donor to, “think about who benefits from your generous donation – it helps patients everywhere, like me, who are stricken with cancer.”  During Paul’s recuperation time, his health had restricted him from many activities so he turned to his love for writing and authored his book ‘Resume,’ that was published in 2004. He also published and manages an online magazine, Sports and Pop Culture Bank.com.  “If it were not for the loving support of friends and family, the inspiration from my mother and father, my tenacious attitude, and the generosity of blood donors, I would not be where I am today.”  

James (Jim) Plunket’s experience as a blood recipient started on January 13, 1986.  That is the day that he suffered three transient ischemic attacks (TIA) within two hours.  His fellow firefighters convinced him to go to the hospital.  After arriving in the ER at Good Samaritan Hospital, staff were concerned that Jim might be suffering from leukemia or a bleeding disorder due to his low platelet count.  After numerous tests, doctors diagnosed him with Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP). Because this condition is almost always fatal if untreated, doctors suggested a new treatment called plasmapheresis and Jim agreed to give it a try.  The treatment required Jim’s abnormal plasma to be replaced with normal donor plasma. During his one month of treatment, he was transfused with 106 various blood products. Jim’s fellow firefighters hosted a blood drive in his honor to help replenish the blood supply that Jim needed. Firefighters, policemen, and village employees from all around the Chicago metro area came to share the gift of life and show their support for Jim.  He said, “I did not know 75% of the people that took time from their lives to give me the greatest gift of all.  They gave me life itself and a chance to continue giving back to the community through my work as a Public Safety Education and Information Officer at the fire department.”  He also says, “I can never really repay those people who gave me another chance at life. I thank GOD that there are people who donate blood.”

Robert had been feeling more tired than usual and attributed his exhaustion to long hours at work and lack of exercise.  But in March of 2006, he found himself struggling to walk during his usual eighteen holes of golf.  Robert had to stop and take a breath between walking to the ball.  As an avid golfer, Robert new something was very wrong when he had to go home after the ninth hole.  He called his primary doctor and went in for tests.  When the blood test results came back, his doctor informed him that he was severely anemic and needed to immediately go to Silver Cross Hospital for treatment. Doctors at the hospital found that Robert’s hemoglobin level was at 4.3 g/dL when it should be between 14 and 18.  Doctors were shocked that he could even walk with a level that low.  Several blood tests and a bone marrow biopsy later, doctors discovered that Robert was suffering from Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) and Myeloproliferative Disorder (MPD).  Robert was not producing red blood cells fast enough to keep up with the needs of his body.  Doctors tried several types of drug treatments and found one that appeared to be improving his condition.  As part of his treatment, Robert receives packed red blood cell transfusions every week or so.  Currently, he has received 122 units of blood provided by Provena St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet.  When family and friends ask Robert if they can do anything to help him, he always tells them to ‘donate blood’.  He says, “I tell them that even though they may not be the same blood type as me, there is always someone who needs blood to keep them alive.”  Robert is also very proud of his wife and children who donate blood on a regular basis. 

Bri and Pat were very excited and pleasantly surprised when they found out that they were going to be parents of twins!  Caitie and her twin sister Zoe arrived seven weeks premature on January 15 2007. Zoe weighed three pounds and Caitie weighed four pounds.   Bri and Pat were prepared to hear that their little girls would need to spend time in the neonatal intensive care unit at Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora due to their premature births.  After only three and a half weeks, Zoe was healthy enough to come home, but Caitie was still struggling and continued to lose weight by the day from complications in her digestive tract.  She weighed just over two pounds when the doctors decided to surgically repair her pylorus muscle at the distal end of her stomach.  During Caitie’s recovery from surgery, her hematocrit levels dropped and she needed a blood transfusion.  Weeks passed and her condition continued to worsen. Caitie was then transferred to another hospital where doctors discovered that she was suffering from malrotation of the bowels, a webbing within the structure of her duodenum, and a misplaced appendix.  Through laparoscopic surgery, doctors were able to correct these issues, but Caitie’s hematocrit levels still continued to drop, so she needed additional blood transfusions.  Bri says, “she would not be with us today if it weren’t for our donors.”  As a Heartland Blood Centers phlebotomist, Bri works hard everyday to ensure that the blood supply is there for others, like Caitie, who are in need of life saving transfusions.  Bri and Pat are happy to report that Caitie and Zoe are both happy and healthy.  “They giggle and are starting to crawl now – we are so greatful to donors,” said Bri.