Team Travis: Directed Blood Donation

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Directed Blood Donation

I received the paperwork for blood donation from Children's Hospital. Here is the scoop.......Travis is O+ which means he can receive the following:

*Packed Red Blood Cells from O+ or O- donors (can only donate once prior to surgery)

*Platelet/Plasma from O+, O-, A+, A-, B+, B- (can donate every 48 hours/4 weeks respectively)

O+ donors would be the best possible match but he can still receive from those listed above. If you are healthy and interested in donating blood for Travis' surgery please let me know ASAP.

I am trying to arrange for a donation spot in SD as well as Murrieta.

THANK YOU!!!!!!

4 comments:

Wodzisz FamilyApril 12, 2010 at 6:37 AM
What a wonderful idea. I donated blood for the first time after Hope was born. I didn't realize what an easy thing it is and how much of a benefit it provides to so many people.
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AnonymousApril 14, 2010 at 10:06 AM
Deb is O+ and I am A+...let us know what we need to do.

tina
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AnonymousApril 15, 2010 at 9:02 PM
My daughter Caty is 0+ and would like to donate. You can get a hold of me at school.
Sherry Fritz
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AnonymousApril 19, 2010 at 10:19 AM
I am B+ so I can do the platlet donation. Let me know. Diane Furtak
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Travis Gary DiCarlo

Travis Gary DiCarlo, first son of Roger and Nicole DiCarlo, was born at San Diego Kaiser Hospital, October 23, 2009 with a Congenital Heart Defect known as Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, or HLHS. The short explanation is that Travis was born with only half of a heart. In order for him to live, a series of three operations were planned.

Due to an infection, Travis had to have an additional open heart surgery to insert pulmonary artery bands on October 29, 2009. He had his Norwood Surgery on November 21, 2009. He was sent home on December 14, 2009 from Rady's Children Hospital of San Diego after spending his first 52 nights of life in the hospital.

After being home for several months, Travis was due to for his next surgery in the plan, the Glenn procedure. But the life of a cardiac kid can change in an instant and life doesn't always go as planned. Due to the anatomy of his heart and some rhythm issues, Travis had what the surgeons called Norwood part 2. They replaced his Sano Shunt with a bigger one, enlarged his pulmonary arteries and installed a pacemaker. This surgery was performed on May 3, 2010. Travis went home on May 17th, 2010.

Around Travis' first birthday in October his cardiologist detected some narrowing in his pulmonary artery and ordered a heart cath. The heart cath showed extensive narrowing in his aorta and his pulmonary artery. On February 17, 2011 Travis had his 4th open heart surgery. He was doing well with recovery until he suddenly went into cardiac arrest on Friday (2/18). After two hours of CPR Travis was placed on ECMO (a heart/lung bypass). Although his heart did begin to beat again on its own, his brain was damaged during the whole ordeal and he lost all brain function. We had to say goodbye to our beautiful boy on Saturday, February 19th. We miss our boy terribly.....