O negative blood needed

DD-

New Member
Hi

Some of the members of the board know that my family is currently going through a very difficult time with my 3-year old nephew Eddie. I'm posting the information here on this forum because we may need some help.

The story is that back in late June, Eddie was taken to Long Island Jewish Center Hospital having trouble breathing. They evaluated him, and rushed him to Columbia-Presbyterian's Children's Hospital with the diagnosis of an enlarged heart. The doctor's determined that a virus attacked his heart probably 6-12 months prior and that his
condition went misdiagnosed as asthma. He was in the hospital's children's cardiac unit in June/July for 2 weeks, where they put him on a bunch of medicine, and sent him home to wait for either the drugs to do their thing or for a new heart to become available. The doctors were hoping that the medicine would start to shrink his heart back to the normal size and that a transplant wouldn't be necessary.

Unfortunately, last Thursday (9/6), he was rushed back to Columbia because his condition worsened. This past Monday he underwent 6 hours of surgery to install a breathing tube and to put him on a heart-lung bypass machine. He is currently in a medically induced coma waiting for a new heart. His status on the transplant list is now A-1, which makes him eligible for the first available heart.

Eddie has had 3 transfusions this week alone, and he has the blood type that only 6% of the population has. The doctors are anticipating that he will require more transfusions before this is over. Neither Allamuchy Joe, me, my mom or my brother have O negative, so we can't give blood to him.

We're lucky that Vicki (his mom) has a father, brother and 2 sister-in-laws that all have O negative. They were able to donate yesterday in Mineloa where the blood will be processed and sent on to Columbia for Eddie's use. Now they will not be able to donate again for a while, so we're asking for people that have O negative blood type to volunteer to donate in Eddie's name if we need more blood. In the next few days I'll be finding out how & where we can set send people to donate in NJ then have the blood processed and sent to Columbia for Eddie's use.

Please PM me or Allamuchy Joe if you have O negative and would be willing to donate.

Prayers said for this little boy's recovery would be most appreciated.

Thanks
Dawn & Joe
 
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D

DANSPANK

Guest
Shit, that's terrible for the little fella. Unfortunately I'm not O negative but will put you all in my thoughts.
 

elzoller

El Guac-Oh
O-positive here. Sorry.
I am very sorry to hear that, i have a 3yr old myself and I can't begin to imagine how I will feel in a situation like that.
My prayers go out to your family.
 

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
i made this a sticky. hopefully someone in the community has this type of blood and can donate. folks, ask around, lets see what we can do.
 

mergs

Spokompton's Finest
JORBA.ORG
AB pos here Dawn :(

you have my positive thoughts and prayers for Eddie and your family.
 

Shaggz

A strong 7
Please Help

Jake and I will be giving the soon-to-be MTBNJ T-Shirts to the first 5 people who can donate O- blood. Please PM Dawn if you can help.
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Best of luck to you Dawn.

It struck me that I have no idea what my blood type is. I called my doctor who said they don't have that information. They can draw blood and find out, but you need an appointment and all that. Even when they do blood work they don't record what blood type you are.

In this day and age isn't that odd? Is there an easy way to find out?
 
M

myers

Guest
Let me know where blood can be donated. I am in the Morristown area and O neg.
 

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
yeah, very well done.

this is a really good cause folks. again, lets do what we can.
 
Sorry, Dawn, I am O-pos, and due to being a carrier of Lyme's disease, I am not able to donate in any situation, but I will ask around. I work with a very diverse population near the NY City area and someone may be able to help out.

May I paraphrase your initial post for a bulletin to my co-workers?

Best of luck to you Dawn.

It struck me that I have no idea what my blood type is. I called my doctor who said they don't have that information. They can draw blood and find out, but you need an appointment and all that. Even when they do blood work they don't record what blood type you are.

In this day and age isn't that odd? Is there an easy way to find out?


Norm, blood typing can be done in a matter of minutes, they type you when you donate in about 3 minutes. Go donate blood at the local Red Cross office or your next local blood drive and ask them to give you written confirmation of your type. It's that easy.
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Norm, blood typing can be done in a matter of minutes, they type you when you donate in about 3 minutes. Go donate blood at the local Red Cross office or your next local blood drive and ask them to give you written confirmation of your type. It's that easy.

Thanks JGR. The problem in this case is that if I donate blood and turn out to be O-, I won't be able to donate again to help this cause. How often can you donate blood?
 
Thanks JGR. The problem in this case is that if I donate blood and turn out to be O-, I won't be able to donate again to help this cause. How often can you donate blood?

Then do not donate. Go to your local Red Cross or hospital blood bank and request a blood-type test. They only need to take a finger-stick's worth of blood for this.

Or, if you go to Columbia Pres when DD- indicates the blood is needed, they can type and cross-match you there. If you are O-, they'll take your pint then and there. Six weeks later you can donate again, if necessary.
 

Minotaur

New Member
I wish I could help. I am A+, however. I do wish you and your family, especially the "little trooper", all the best, and a long life for him.
 
D

DANSPANK

Guest
You know, being British and because of the whole mad cow disease thing, plus I've spent time in South Africa actually prevents me from dontaing blood in the US?

I'll ask around here in the office for 0- too.
 

mergs

Spokompton's Finest
JORBA.ORG
Let me know where I need to go to donate.

if you haven't done so already, PM Dawn so she get's the email notification. she happened to mention to me in a pm that she's back and forth between the hospital and an email might make it to her. you post here can easily be lost within the well wishes.
 

mergs

Spokompton's Finest
JORBA.ORG
You know, being British and because of the whole mad cow disease thing, plus I've spent time in South Africa actually prevents me from dontaing blood in the US?

I'll ask around here in the office for 0- too.

I'm not surprised. I'm not even sure there's a test for bse or cjd prions. They're only strands of proteins, not even alive so to speak, yet infectious.

What's the story with SA? The Africa wide HIV epidemic?
 

Nimrod

New Member
I found a place doing a blood drive on Monday, (Curves gym) will make a donation.

I don't know my blood type, but Eddie will get the credit DD.
PM me the info and give it to them
 
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