Westwood tragedy prompts big blood drive
By Tim Gallaghertgallagher@siouxcityjournal.com | Posted: Thursday, November 20, 2008
Marty Choquette of Sloan gives blood Wednesday during a Siouxland Community Blood Bank drive at Westwood High School in Sloan. He is assisted by Pam Oetken of Akron, who works for the blood bank. (Photo by Tim Gallagher)
SLOAN, Iowa -- Jo Ann Polly remembers hopping out of bed in the middle of the night and driving to the hospital in Onawa.
"If they had a bad accident and needed blood, they'd call me and I'd go," said Polly, a frequent blood donor.
It had been years since she'd made a midnight run. Years since she'd given at all.
She returned Wednesday as Westwood High School hosted a drive for Siouxland Community Blood Bank. Ninety-four donors turned out, easily doubling what officials originally forecast.
Why? Because people like Jo Ann Polly sprang to action, moved by a Nov. 8 accident on Highway 141 near Hornick.
"You never know when something like this is going to happen to your own," said Polly, a Smithland resident. "And these were our own."
She spoke of five Rebel wrestlers and their coach, all injured when a van driven by Bradley Haburn, 53, of Spencer collided with them head-on. Haburn was killed instantly.
Two wrestlers have been released from Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City. Jordan Mitchell, 18, returned to school part time Monday. Sage Washburn, 16, continues to work through his recovery at home.
The others remain hospitalized at Mercy. They are: Coach Daniel Thompson, 26, Trent Baker, 16, Adam Greeno, 16, and Blake Jorgensen, 15.
Greeno and Thompson, according to Westwood Superintendent Kirk Ahrends, improved enough in the past week to see visitors on the eighth floor at Mercy. Baker and Jorgensen continue to receive intensive medical care but hope to move soon to the eighth floor.
Jorgensen also received word he's been accepted in the Craig Hospital program in Colorado for rehabilitation and will head there with his parents as soon as possible.
What can we do?
While the developments allowed many Westwood students to breathe and sleep a bit easier, the student body, according to Ahrends, wanted to do more. That's when the blood drive idea arose.
"Our National Honor Society and the local blood bank have had a relationship for years," Ahrends said. "And we've usually done something about this time of year, as the need for blood is greatest around the holidays."
The day became a recovery effort in the accident's wake.
"Our kids, our staff and our communities wanted to do everything they could," he said. "And giving is what we can do at this time."
The gifts have come in various forms, including prayer chains, sales of T-shirts, making food for victims' families and monetary donations.
And, to this, the "gift of life."
A normal school collection effort sees 40 units (pints) donated, said Heather Marrell, director of recruitment for Siouxland Community Blood Bank. Wednesday was no normal day. Twenty-five units were collected in the first 45 minutes.
Many Westwood Rebels, such as junior Kaitlin Choquette, gave blood for the first time.
"She's giving because these boys are all her friends," said her father, Marty Choquette, a member of the school board and frequent blood donor himself. Marty Choquette gave his double-red cells this day.
Other adults came from five towns served by Westwood. If they didn't know these boys or their coach personally, they knew a family member or relative.
The accident affected everyone. Now, everyone pitches in. People like Jo Ann Polly. "I had thought about giving blood again the past several years but just hadn't done it until today," she said. "My granddaughters go to school here with these boys."
It was easy, she added, to take some time and roll up her right sleeve. A blood bank bonus: The woman who used to make midnight runs plans to give again soon.
"This will get me started again," she said.
Ahrends watched the scene unfold in the auxiliary gym. In a tragic two-week stretch, Wednesday marked a time for needles. And smiles.
"This is a good day for us," he said. "We've got kids and adults who can show how much they care."
Pancakes Sunday
A pancake breakfast to benefit the accident victims will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at Westwood High School. For information, call 712-428-3355.
"If they had a bad accident and needed blood, they'd call me and I'd go," said Polly, a frequent blood donor.
It had been years since she'd made a midnight run. Years since she'd given at all.
She returned Wednesday as Westwood High School hosted a drive for Siouxland Community Blood Bank. Ninety-four donors turned out, easily doubling what officials originally forecast.
Why? Because people like Jo Ann Polly sprang to action, moved by a Nov. 8 accident on Highway 141 near Hornick.
"You never know when something like this is going to happen to your own," said Polly, a Smithland resident. "And these were our own."
She spoke of five Rebel wrestlers and their coach, all injured when a van driven by Bradley Haburn, 53, of Spencer collided with them head-on. Haburn was killed instantly.
Two wrestlers have been released from Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City. Jordan Mitchell, 18, returned to school part time Monday. Sage Washburn, 16, continues to work through his recovery at home.
The others remain hospitalized at Mercy. They are: Coach Daniel Thompson, 26, Trent Baker, 16, Adam Greeno, 16, and Blake Jorgensen, 15.
Greeno and Thompson, according to Westwood Superintendent Kirk Ahrends, improved enough in the past week to see visitors on the eighth floor at Mercy. Baker and Jorgensen continue to receive intensive medical care but hope to move soon to the eighth floor.
Jorgensen also received word he's been accepted in the Craig Hospital program in Colorado for rehabilitation and will head there with his parents as soon as possible.
What can we do?
While the developments allowed many Westwood students to breathe and sleep a bit easier, the student body, according to Ahrends, wanted to do more. That's when the blood drive idea arose.
"Our National Honor Society and the local blood bank have had a relationship for years," Ahrends said. "And we've usually done something about this time of year, as the need for blood is greatest around the holidays."
The day became a recovery effort in the accident's wake.
"Our kids, our staff and our communities wanted to do everything they could," he said. "And giving is what we can do at this time."
The gifts have come in various forms, including prayer chains, sales of T-shirts, making food for victims' families and monetary donations.
And, to this, the "gift of life."
A normal school collection effort sees 40 units (pints) donated, said Heather Marrell, director of recruitment for Siouxland Community Blood Bank. Wednesday was no normal day. Twenty-five units were collected in the first 45 minutes.
Many Westwood Rebels, such as junior Kaitlin Choquette, gave blood for the first time.
"She's giving because these boys are all her friends," said her father, Marty Choquette, a member of the school board and frequent blood donor himself. Marty Choquette gave his double-red cells this day.
Other adults came from five towns served by Westwood. If they didn't know these boys or their coach personally, they knew a family member or relative.
The accident affected everyone. Now, everyone pitches in. People like Jo Ann Polly. "I had thought about giving blood again the past several years but just hadn't done it until today," she said. "My granddaughters go to school here with these boys."
It was easy, she added, to take some time and roll up her right sleeve. A blood bank bonus: The woman who used to make midnight runs plans to give again soon.
"This will get me started again," she said.
Ahrends watched the scene unfold in the auxiliary gym. In a tragic two-week stretch, Wednesday marked a time for needles. And smiles.
"This is a good day for us," he said. "We've got kids and adults who can show how much they care."
Pancakes Sunday
A pancake breakfast to benefit the accident victims will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at Westwood High School. For information, call 712-428-3355.
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Thankful wrote on Nov 20, 2008 11:58 AM: