| |
            |
Tim Searles started seeing life differently when he entered eighth grade.
That’s the year he learned what it means to need blood for life. “Nature has a way of letting you forget things,” says the now 20-something software engineer of the fall he nearly died from E-coli poisoning. “But what I do remember is that first night I stayed in the hospital, being really scared and getting a grasp on how serious things really were.” At 13, Tim had no way of knowing that a terrible stomach ache could manifest in a two-month hospital stay, multiple surgeries, and blood transfusions to help save his life. “My friend and I had just got back from camping at a state park,” says Tim. “We cooked some burgers on the grill. The next day, I got sick and he didn’t. We just thought it was a bug or the flu.” But after a couple days of horrible abdominal cramps, Tim’s parents took him to the doctor, who then admitted him to the hospital. At first, doctors speculated he had appendicitis. But after numerous tests and exploratory surgery, his medical team determined his illness was caused by E-coli – a food-borne bacterium. Tim was placed in intensive care and closely monitored. His kidneys shut down, his blood counts were low. He needed transfusions to stave off dialysis and further damage to his system. “That experience opened my eyes to the fact that if someone hadn’t donated blood, it wouldn’t have been there for me,” says Tim who received two transfusions of two units each. “It was the first time, too, that my parents had ever donated. They’re regular donors now.” Tim spent six weeks in the hospital from the day he entered to the day he went home. Looking back, he’s amazed he had a mild case of E-coli, considering he missed nearly the first half of eighth grade. Having been a recipient, he says, strengthened his resolve to be among the first in line at a high school drive, shortly after he turned 17. Today, Tim donates as often as he can through the American Red Cross. In addition to his job writing software for instrumentation displays, he’s also involved in community activities, including mentoring high school robotics teams. “I tell everyone my story in hopes that they’ll considering donating blood,” says Tim, who recently convinced his girlfriend to become a donor. “I would hate to see someone else go through what I did in order to realize how important donating blood is.”
|