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Five years later, 17-year-old A.J. has no memory of the accident that fractured his right leg, left arm, eye socket and skull. But he'll never forget the reason he's still alive—the three blood transfusions that revived him when his injuries wouldn't stop bleeding. A.J. was brought to the Emergency Department at Children's Hospital Boston, since "all of his fractures were open and you could see bones," says his mother, Michelle. "The most serious injury was to his head, where he was losing a huge amount of blood." Neurosurgeon Ed Smith, MD, immediately got to work on A.J.'s head, and during the surgery, A.J. was given many blood transfusions. While Michelle was fretting in the waiting room, Smith approached her and told Michelle how strong A.J was: His brain was fine, the collision had only damaged the skull. Because of the transfusions, he was going to be all right.
Now a senior in high school, A.J. is organizing his own blood drives for Children's Blood Donor Center, which is always accepting blood, since just one donation can help save the lives of up to three people. At Children's, blood is in great demand: Surgical procedures require a huge amount of blood, and children often need fresher blood in significantly larger amounts than adults.
Last year, A.J. found out about Children's blood mobile, a 40-foot travelling blood collection bus. Working with his school's principal and nurse, he arranged for the bus to visit his local high school. On the day of the blood drive, his friends and students he didn't know waited in line to give. "Everyone was really enthusiastic," A.J. says. "Standing in line, people were saying, 'When is it my turn?'"
With a desire to do more, A.J. organized a second drive, with excellent results. Maureen Zuzevich, who runs the blood mobile, says families—who have experienced first-hand how a simple act of charity like donating blood can transform lives—often end up giving blood for the rest of their lives. "I have a lot of parents who come into the center saying they'd like to give back a little," she says. "It's wonderful."
Lauren Salter, a Blood Donor Center technician, helped on all of A.J.'s drives. "A.J. was shaking everyone's hand," she recalls. Salter says although there are many drives in memory of patients and dedicated to patients, this was her first drive organized by one. Working with a patient who'd benefited from blood donation was rewarding for her. "Sometimes you can be caught up in the repetition of collecting blood every day," she says. "It was nice to put a face to what I'm doing, take a step back and reflect on how important this work is."
A.J., who is planning to organize two more drives this year, has inspired his community, too. In his senior yearbook, he'll will be remembered not by the superlative "Best Smile" or "Biggest Jock," but as the person who "Gives Back to the Community the Most." But A.J. isn't in it for the credit. He smiles shyly, "I was given so much," he says. "I just want to give back."
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