Expat Needs Blood Donations For Open Heart Surgery at Santo Tomas

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Received the following this morning via email: "I just received this email from a friend in Bocas. I thought that since this forum is read by so many people in P.C that some of you might be able to help. You can contact Allene at the Bocas Breeze bocasbreeze @ yahoo.com, or Kelley at the address below. Thanks,Marilyn - Hi, I am trying to figure out how to accomplish getting blood donations needed and hoping to get some help from you. You may or may not know that Jack has been very sick. We have been from Changuinola to David to Panama City getting tests run and results are such that all of his main arteries to the heart are blocked to some degree. He is in need of a triple, and most likely quadruple bypass and is scheduled at Hospital Santo Tomas on June 23rd for this open heart surgery. A requirement to have surgery there is he needs several blood donations." (more)

"We, like many others have been severely impacted by the world financial crisis. Jack has no insurance and this surgery is extremely costly. Hospital Santo Tomas is a very good hospital which has accepted Jacks case. The head cardiac surgeon at Santo Tomas, Manuel Jaen, also performs surgery at Punta Pacifica. We have plenty of faith in him, the hospital, and the equipment. The difficulty is the wait but it allows us time to achieve the difficult task of getting much needed blood donations."

"Jacks blood type is A+ which is compatible with all A's and O's for transfusion I believe. The blood cannot be older than 30 days old so ideally donors would give beginning May 23rd. I was attempting to find out if donors can give at the local hospitals but I do not think they have any way of storing the blood. Our dilemma is that all of our friends who would volunteer wholeheartedly are here in the Bocas islands. What we need are donors in Panama City at Hospital Santo Tomas. So, we are asking if anyone has any plans of traveling to Panama City between May 23rd and June 23rd, please donate blood for Jack ZumBerge at Hospital Santo Tomas. When you do, please email or call us to let us know, and save the ticket they give you to prove it. Somehow we will get that from you. This is vital to his surgery which is vital to his life. Also, if you know anyone in Panama City who can help us, please pass us that information."

"I have asked many questions regarding the prerequisites to donating blood and what I have learned is nothing concrete but, plan for these possibilities: Sometimes their is an age limitation of 60, 65, or not at all. Sometimes they require you to fast for 12 hrs, then test your blood, then you eat something, then donate. Donating blood here is not an easy process. Following the rules to donate will take up your valuable time. We will be eternally grateful for any help you can give us."

Thanks in advance for your help. Kelly Www.StarfishReef.com, Jack and Kelly ZumBerge, Island Direct 011-(507)-6445-9154, US 512-351-4346"

Our Sponsors

Categories and Topics

Snapvine Voiceblog

Panama-Guide Email Group

What's New

Stories

Comments last 2 days

Trackbacks last 2 days

Pages last 2 weeks

NEW FILES last 14 days

Links last 2 weeks

MEDIA GALLERY Last 7 Days

REVIEWS last 2 weeks

User Functions

Older Stories

Saturday 06-Mar

Friday 05-Mar

Thursday 04-Mar

Wednesday 03-Mar

Tuesday 02-Mar

Monday 01-Mar

Sunday 28-Feb

Groups and Organizations

Expat Needs Blood Donations For Open Heart Surgery at Santo Tomas

What's Related

Story Options

Trackback

Our Sponsors

Who's Online

User Activity

Counter

Current Tides for Balboa

Follow us on twitter

Stat Counter

Current Weather Conditions in Panama City