Urgent Plea for Your Help!

First, my apologies as it's been quite a while since I've written to you. It's always interesting the challenges that life tosses our way. As a result, I am coming to you with a plea and asking for your help.

Many of you know that the past few years have been a time of great challenge and change for me. They've also been years of exceptional personal and spiritual growth as well, and honestly, looking back, I wouldn't change any of it. (well ok, maybe a few!!!) I believe there are always lessons we need to learn from these challenges so that we can move to a higher spiritual level. I certainly have and am thankful for the experience.

I was very blessed to have a partner come into my life a year ago who brought me great joy and peace. We were joined together at a 'soulular' level with an incredibly strong and unbreakable connection and I loved him dearly.

Life had different plans for us though. In April he was diagnosed with cancer and after further testing and much consultation with oncologists, it was determined he should have surgery and then chemo. Arrangements were made and I took him in on July 10th for his surgery.

Well by now you may realize that I've been writing in the past tense here .... it didn't go well. Once opened up the cancer was found everywhere. The doctors did what they could but the prognosis was bad. The worst was yet to come when in the recovery room he 'bled out' and was rushed back into surgery to stop the bleeding and try and keep him alive.

Here's what I want you all to really recognize!

Suddenly he had lost his entire bodys' volume of blood. Bag after bag of blood was given to him. That night he had 14 units of whole blood alone, along with many bags of frozen plasma and platelets. By the end, he had 21 units of blood given to him. I watched it flow into him along with other fluids to try and bring his pressure up and replace what he was losing, to sustain him another minute, another hour, another day.

He fought valiantly and courageously for 3 1/2 weeks until his body gave up and nothing more could be done for him. I held him as he passed and closed his eyes when it was over. I was honoured to have been by his side and to help him through this incredibly difficult time. Who knows, I suspect this is the reason the universe brought us together. No one should be alone at times like this and had we not met, he would have been. I'm so very blessed and grateful to have shared this time with him although it was so short.

Our lives can change in a single instant. My plea to you is this - PLEASE GIVE BLOOD. Give the life saving blood that is in such critical demand all over the world. Your local communities will offer blood donor clinics. You can check these out by visiting the American Red Cross in the United States at http://www.redcross.org/donate/give/ or calling 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (1-800-448-3543). In Canada contact the Canadian Blood Services, http://www.bloodservices.ca/ or by calling 1-888-2-DONATE.

It's always interesting to notice how serendipitous life can be. One and a half weeks after I lost my partner, I attended my weekly Rotary meeting. Amazingly, the speaker that day was from Canadian Blood Services with a plea for my Rotary Clubs' help in giving blood and passing the message along.

How timely! I stood up and shared with my fellow Rotarians how true in fact this plea was as I had just lived this. We never know when or how our lives may be touched by someone requiring this life saving fluid. It's established fact that we all will be touched by cancer in our lives, whether ourselves or someone in our family or close to us. Chemo patients often require blood and blood products to help them through their treatment.

Now, I can't give blood due to my own health challenges, but I realized after listening to this speaker that I could give time and I could ask you for your help. I immediately volunteered my time to assist in blood donation clinics or speaking on their behalf and I am spreading the word by asking you.

So there are no excuses and I ask you again, please give blood or give time for this very worthy cause. Who knows, one day you or a loved one could be the patient lying in a hospital bed receiving this precious gift of life. The life you save could be your own!

I thank you all for your support and for giving blood. And I thank everyone who donated the blood that was so vital in keeping my Brian alive for those few short weeks. I carry your kindness in my heart always.

I will be back in touch soon and ask for your patience as I move through the grieving process.

My best wishes and thanks to you all.

Mary Wozny