Family of Badly Burned Boy Pleads for Blood [Type O-, 100% burned]

Star Tribune ^ | 12.19.05 | Bob Von Sternberg

[airedale]

I gave platelets today at the Red Cross and I asked them if people in other areas of the country can donate blood for this child. The answer is that they can go to any Red Cross Center and donate the blood, but one step has to be done first. The boys doctor has to contact that local chapter of the Red Cross ask them for the blood you're donating. Once that's done they set up a special donation and it gets shipped out to them. If more people who have that blood type want to donate they are also handled by that call to that local chapter. In this case if all the O- people in the San Fernando Valley wanted to donate blood for this child the one call from the Doctor would take care of it.

The article doesn't give the Doctors name but I'll bet the source of this article can get it if people who have the proper blood type want to donate blood for him

[airedale]

I gave platelets today at the Red Cross and I asked them if people in other areas of the country can donate blood for this child. The answer is that they can go to any Red Cross Center and donate the blood, but one step has to be done first. The boys doctor has to contact that local chapter of the Red Cross ask them for the blood you're donating. Once that's done they set up a special donation and it gets shipped out to them. If more people who have that blood type want to donate they are also handled by that call to that local chapter. In this case if all the O- people in the San Fernando Valley wanted to donate blood for this child the one call from the Doctor would take care of it.

The article doesn't give the Doctors name but I'll bet the source of this article can get it if people who have the proper blood type want to donate blood for him

[Dustbunny]

How heartbreaking. Prayers for the little guy.

[OldBlondBabe]

Yes, my mistake. AB-, as I understand is most rare. As I recall from my blood-giving days, less than 1% of the population has it. Fortunately it is the universal recipient.

[airedale]

The family is asking for donation to help them travel back and forth and stay with him according to http://wcco.com/links This is CBS Channel 4 in Minnesota. I couldn't get the link to work at the site (got there through Google which is where I got the info on what the donations are for.)

Donations according to this site are supposed to be sent to: Skye Williams Fund C/O Rural American Bank – Braham 121 S. Main St. Braham, MN 55006

[paulat]

The latest update I've seen (poor kid!):

Dec 23, 2005 9:46 am US/Central

Burned Boy Could Be Hospitalized For A Year

(AP) Minneapolis Doctors say it might be weeks or months before a badly burned 5-year-old boy is fully conscious again.

Skye Williams was burned over 93 percent of his body after he leaned over a candle at his family's home in Braham, Minn. last week.

Skye underwent his third surgery Thursday at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. He's in critical but stable condition and in a drug-induced coma.

Doctors say the boy might have to stay in the hospital's burn unit for six months to a year.

[mel]

I know, there was a burn case a few years back, I work in hospital with burn units. The guy tried to jump off the bridge into water that was on fire, the doctors said they should have let him jump. The family wouldn't let him go though and he suffered for about 6 days before he passed away