DAYTON, Ohio – Donors who support the regional blood supply during the Memorial Day holiday period by donating at the Solvita Dayton Center will get a free Kings Island ticket or a $15 e-gift card.
Schedule an appointment to donate with Solvita (formerly Community Blood Center) on the Donor Time app, by calling (937) 461-3220, or at www.donortime.com.
Everyone who registers to donate Friday, May 17 through Sunday, May 26 or Tuesday, May 28 through Saturday, June 1 at the Solvita Dayton Center, 349 S. Main St. can choose between one free Kings Island e-ticket (while supplies last) or a $15 e-gift card.
All registered donors also receive the Solvita “From One to Many” t-shirt and are automatically entered in a drawing to win a pair of tickets to the Bengals vs. Steelers game at Paycor Stadium.
The Memorial Day holiday period is a disruptive time for blood collection. There are no mobile blood drives scheduled Friday, May 24 or Friday, May 31. The Solvita Dayton Center will operate under special hours Sunday, May 26 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. but Solvita will be closed Monday, May 27 for Memorial Day.
The holiday weekend launches the summer travel season, a challenging time for Solvita to register the 350 donors needed every day to supply area hospitals. Remember to donate or to reschedule a missed donation as soon as possible.
You can save time while helping save lives by using “DonorXPress” to complete the donor questionnaire before arriving at a blood drive. Find DonorXPress on the Donor Time App or at www.solvita.org/donorxpress.
DAYTON, Ohio – Make Mother’s Day weekend a celebration of giving life by donating blood in a time of low supply. Registers to donate Friday or Saturday, May 10-11 at the Solvita Blood Center 349 S. Main St. and receive a free Mother’s Day carnation and a Kroger $10 gift card.
Schedule an appointment to donate with Solvita (formerly Community Blood Center) on the Donor Time app, by calling (937) 461-3220, or at www.donortime.com.
Everyone who registers to donate now through June 29 will receive the Solvita slogan t-shirt. Register to donate April 29-June 1 to be automatically entered in a drawing to win a pair of Bengals vs. Steelers tickets.
Solvita is in low supply of type O positive and negative and type B negative blood. Type O is the universal blood type and is in constant demand for emergency usage. Type B is less common in the population so after high usage fewer donors are available to replenish supply.
The approaching Memorial Day holiday weekend will launch the summer vacation season, an always difficult time to register the 350 donors needed every day to supply area hospitals.
You can save time while helping save lives by using “DonorXPress” to complete the donor questionnaire before arriving at a blood drive. Find DonorXPress on the Donor Time App or at www.solvita.org/donorxpress.
KETTERING, Ohio – The Solvita sun beamed down on the eighth annual “Strides for Life 5K” on a warm and breezy Saturday morning, April 27 and the outlook for Solvita Kettering Research Park as the new home of the event could not have been brighter.
Runners and walkers, families with pets and strollers, vendors, DJ’s, “Donate Life Month” celebrants, and volunteers from co-hosts Solvita, Life Connection of Ohio, and the Lions Eye Bank of West Central Ohio all swarmed the KRP campus. It was the first time Solvita has hosted the event, and organizers say it’s a perfect fit.
More than 400 runners and walkers navigated the new racecourse, and Solvita team members Tyler Gray and Emalee Atha took first place in the men’s and women’s competitions.
“I’ve been second the last two years and this year I finally won!” said Tyler, a tissue recovery supervisor who clocked a winning time of 18:32. Emalee works in microbiology and won the women’s race with a time of 25:31. “We very much wanted to get the job done,” said Tyler.
Dayton Dragons mascot Gem and U.D.’s Rudy Flyer added to the festival atmosphere, high-fiving and waving to kids as they ran through the finish line of the kids run.
BMX riders from A&E Racing gathered beyond the starting line of the 5K, ready to lead the way. They got the warning from the announcer to take off early and go fast to avoid runners jackrabbiting past them.
Life Connection CEO Matt Wadsworth welcomed everyone, noted participation of more than 400 runners and walkers in person, plus more in the virtual race, and noted the special appearance of the BMX team to honor Donerick Black, a heart transplant recipient from Centerville.
Donerick stood out among his teammates, looking more like an offensive lineman next to the kids, teens, and leaner adults. There was also no hiding his exuberance for riding, and his gratitude for the gift of life.
“It’s pretty amazing,” said Donerick. “I got my heart transplant in February 2015, and I was back on my bike in July 2015. I’ve gotten so much love and support from my BMX family. We usually race on the weekends but there’s no race this weekend, so we invited them to come out.”
Cardiomyopathy was Donerick’ s challenge. He had open heart surgery in 2010. Afterwards he got back on a bike for the first time since childhood and fell in love with BMX racing. But in 2014 he went on the national transplant waiting list. “At first I was going to have to have an artificial heart,” he said. But after 49 days of waiting, he received his transplant a day before his 45th birthday in 2015.
He said his donor Eric was a husband and father. “He is a friend for life,” said Donerick, “and I honor him every day.”
Kids race start
Kara Didier volunteers at Strides for Life every year. She worked the finish line where she could watch for her son among the runners.
“I am a double long recipient, times two,” said Kara. “My first transplants was in 2012 and was rejected. My second transplant was in 2023. Both lungs, both rejected. I’ve had some bumps in the road, so it’s been a process.”
Sarah & Jim Shroades
In the sea of walkers along the 5K course it was easy to spot the orange t-shirts of “Team Emma.” The face on the t-shirt is the daughter of Sarah and Jim Shroades from Donaldsonville.
“Team Emma is for my daughter,” said Sarah. “She passed away in 2011 from a blood clot in the brain when she was 18 years old. She was of course an organ donor.”
Jim said Emma was a donor because of her mother. “They asked her, and I said, ‘yes,’” said Sarah.
CENTERVILLE, Ohio – Donors honored a young police officer’s sacrifice at the April 29 John Kalaman Memorial Blood Drive and sent messages of hope to his parents who began the blood drive in his name 26 years ago.
Officer Kalaman and Washington Township Firefighter Robert O’Toole were struck and killed by a motorist on Jan. 12, 1998 while responding to an I-675 accident. John and Paula Kalaman sponsored the first memorial blood drive in 1998 on their son’s April 27 birthday.
The 27th annual Kalaman Memorial Blood Drive totaled 80 donors and 71 donations. Since 1998, 4,615 units of blood have been donated in Kalaman’s honor.
For a consecutive year, John and Paula Kalaman were unable to attend due to health issues.
“It’s hard not to be there,” Paula said prior to the blood drive. “All we need is prayers. We’re just trying to be ready for what’s coming next. There is always hope for next year. We’re not giving up yet.”
Dayton Firefighter Greg Allen
The blood drive again gathered the support of law enforcement and public safety community, Centerville friends and neighbors, familiar donors, and five donating for the first time. Many wrote message of encouragement to the Kalamans.
“Over the years it’s been reconnecting with the Kalamans,” said Jake Stone, who has been donating at the blood drive since graduating Centerville High in 2012. “It’s been sad not seeing them, but its better for them to take their time and not push themselves.”
Jake Stone
“I was a dispatcher here for 12 years and always come to this,” said Springboro Police Officer Aaron Morgan. She is the proud 2010 recipient of the annual John Kalaman Respect for Law Award for helping a child in an emergency.
“A little girl called in on 911 and said her mom wouldn’t wake up,” Aaron said. “She was scared, and we couldn’t find her. I knew the general area of the call and had the guys turn on their sirens and she came out.”
Springboro Officer Aaron Morgan
Retired CPD Chief Stephen Walker tries to visit the blood drive every year. He talked about the Kalaman scholarship fund and golf tournament with committee member and donor Gail Adkins.
“It turned out unbelievable, the money it was able to raise,” Chief Walker said about the tournament. “I remember it had to be a pig roast, kind of symbolic because of the cops! And it was on the golf course roasting all day.”
Retired CPD Chief Stephen Walker & Gail Adkins
Gerald Perkins is a long time volunteer EMT with the Box 21 Emergency Services. “I was on the call that day,” he said of Kalaman’s death. He donated the next day to support Firefighter Chuck Arnold who was badly injured in the same accident.
“I was trying to show support,” he said. “When an officer is injured in the line of duty, you try to roll up your sleeves. There is a need for blood every day, from some type of illness, accident, or injury.”
Dayton Firefighter and Paramedic Greg Allen donated at the Kalaman blood drive for the first time and said, “I always wanted to be a firefighter. I grew up in Centerville and knew when it happened.”
CPD Detective Ashley Clark
CPD detective Ashley Clark say the Kalaman history is part of the training of new officers.
“We make sure all officers know his story, the award, and about officer safety,” she said. “We still have to work on that road where he was killed.”
CPD Lt. Michael Yoder served with John Kalaman, has donated at the Kalaman blood drive since the beginning, and made his 47th lifetime donation Monday.
“John and Paula suffered a big loss when John died in the accident, but they have a hundredfold been accepted as members of not just our community, but the police department.
“Every officer has the opportunity to learn about John Kalaman and his sacrifice. We go into this deal because we want to be public servants. His parents have established this blood drive to continue his service, to give blood, give back to the community, and for 26 years his legacy still lives on.”
“As long as this is done in memory of John, people will still come out and support it,” said retired CPD officer Tony Beran. “No matter what, it will be supported.”
CPD LT. Mike Yoder and retired CPD officer Tony Beran.
KETTERING, Ohio – When Chloe Adkins speaks from the heart, she likes to finish her sentence by pointing her fingertips under her chin and framing her face with the back of her hands. She used that “heart” gesture often while visiting the April 26 “Chloe’s Blood Drive” at the Kettering Rec Center.
“I wanted to celebrate my two years,” said Chloe, who is now two years in remission from stage four Hodgkin’s lymphoma that was diagnosed when she was in third grade. “I had a blood transfusion myself. I understand that cancer patients need the blood.”
Chloe & mom Kelly
She was nine in 2022 when she successfully completed chemotherapy treatment. She was already a volunteer with two charities and decided to make blood donations a new cause. With the help of her mom Kelly, she sponsored two “Chloe’s Blood Drives” for Solvita (formerly Community Blood Center).
Now 11 and completing fifth grade, Chloe celebrated her continued recovery by supporting the Kettering Rec blood drive and the April 18 blood drive at Kelly’s employer Reynolds & Reynolds.
The Kettering Rec blood drive totaled 35 donors, including 29 donations and four first time donors. Combined with the Reynolds & Reynolds blood drive, Chloe helped encourage 100 donors and 88 donations.
Chloe will be a sixth grader at Kettering Middle School next year. The experience of cancer has made her wise beyond her years, especially so in the two years or remission.
“Honestly, you realize it’s more important because as you get older you understand more about it,” said Chloe. “It’s more serious.”
“I never know one fourth of the blood supply goes to cancer patients,” said Kelly. “We thought she might need a transfusion, and she ended up in the ER that night.”
“It’s not always for people having surgeries and the ER,” said Chloe, “but cancer patients need it and other patients too.”
Dawn Kirchner & Chloe
While in remission she served as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Honored Hero for the Dayton Light the Night Walk and became the youngest recipient of the Kettering Mayor’s Youth Volunteer Award. At the blood drive Chloe chatted with donor Dawn Kirchner, the City of Kettering’s volunteer administrator.
“I know about Chloe, because she was the Youth Volunteer and I run the program,” said Dawn. “The nominee committee was impressed with her. It was well deserved.”
“I was Mayor for the Day,” said Chloe. “(Mayor Peggy Lehner) came to my school, and we did a ribbon cutting. It was fun!”
Chloe still volunteers with the Kettering Backpack Program and Four Paws for Ability. She plays soccer and softball, cheers football and basketball, and wants to become a fashion designer.
She gets to play sports, be with her friends again,” said Kelly, “and get back to being a normal kid again.”
DAYTON, Ohio – The 27th annual Officer John P. Kalaman Memorial Blood Drive Monday, April 29 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Centerville Police Department, 155 West Spring Valley Pike.
Everyone who registers to donate with Solvita April 29-June 29 will receive the Solvita slogan “From One to Many” t-shirt. Everyone who registers to donate April 29-June 1 with Solvita will be automatically entered in a drawing to win two tickets to the Bengals vs. Steelers game at Cincinnati’s Paycor Stadium.
Schedule an appointment to donate with Solvita (formerly Community Blood Center) on the Donor Time app, by calling (937) 461-3220, or at www.donortime.com.
Centerville Police officer John Kalaman and Washington Township Firefighter Robert O’Toole were struck and killed by a motorist on Jan. 12, 1998 while responding to an I-675 accident. Kalaman’s parents John and Paula Kalaman sponsored the first memorial blood drive in 1998 on their son’s April 27 birthday.
Since 1998 more than 4,544 units of blood have now been donated in his honor.
For a consecutive year, the blood drive will carry on without the presence of John and Paula Kalaman. They were unable to attend last year due to illness, and in recent months John suffered heart and renal failure and Paula is again receiving chemotherapy for lung cancer after a period of remission.
“We just miss the interaction with the people who come,” said Paula. “It’s about the people. We had a 25-year run, which I think is phenomenal, with all the support for all those years. It’s kind of like our reunion, our old home week. It’s hard not to be there.
“All we need is prayers. John was so active; it breaks my heart to see him like this. I made a bargain with God, if he would keep me healthy enough and here long enough to get him healthy again. So far, he’s keeping the bargain. We’re just trying to be ready for what’s coming next.
“There is always hope for next year. We’re not giving up yet.”
Paula & John Kalaman with CPD Chief Matt Brown at 2022 Officer John Kalaman Memorial Blood Drive.
DAYTON, Ohio – Solvita is entering the final weekend of April with a critical shortage of type O positive, type O negative, and type B negative blood. Your gift of a blood donation will help many in need. Make an appointment on the Donor Time app, call (937) 461-3220, or visit www.donortime.com .
Beginning Monday, April 29 everyone who registers to donate at any Solvita blood drive or the Solvita Dayton Center will receive the Solvita slogan “From One to Many” shirt and will be automatically entered in the all-donor drawing to win two tickets to the Bengals vs. Steelers 2024 NFL game at Cincinnati’s Paycor Stadium.
The Solvita t-shirt campaign is April 29-June 29, and the Bengals vs. Steelers ticket drawing is April 29-June 1.
Registered platelets and plasma donors in May and June will receive the “Heart of Gold’ ball cap. Register to donate platelets or plasma every two months to collect all Give Six gifts in the 2024 Gold Club collection.
Nashka Hernandez, Kryslyn Haywood & Jonathan Sanchez.
DAYTON, Ohio – Students at Ponitz Career Technology Center celebrated another successful year of helping save lives with a busy spring blood drive on April 23.
The blood drive totaled 91 donors, including 66 donations and 31 first time donors. Combined with the fall blood drive, Ponitz totaled 183 donors, 130 donations, and 86 first time donors for the 2023-24 academic year.
“It’s amazing to have so many of our kids volunteering to give blood,” said Ponitz Principal Lolita Christian. “I’m always glad to see our students working toward being productive citizens.
Ponitz Guidance Counselor Robin, Principal Lolita Christian, Solvita V.P. Tracy Morgan, Account Manager Donna Teuscher.
“It’s important for our students to develop a sense of pride in the community where they are giving back to the community… being able to donate blood, understanding the importance of giving back to someone in need to help save a life, even with a blood transfusion as someone did for me many years ago. I certainly appreciate that donation of blood or I would not be here today.”
Ponitz is one of 122 high schools hosting blood drives in Solvita’s 18-county region. More than 18% of Solita blood collections come from high school blood drives.
Dainah Allen Eubanks
“The truth is blood donation starts in school and Ponitz is a leader in the district by sponsoring at least two blood drives throughout the year,” said Solvita V.P. for Donor Services Tracy Morgan.
“They’re gaining ‘real world’ knowledge about making a positive impact on others and feeling good about themselves for doing good in their communities.”
Guidance Counselor Robin Fast coordinates the Ponitz blood drive for Solvita. She said students are motivated to donate to earn community service hours and to qualify for the Solvita Red Cord Honors program by registering to donate at least three times before graduating high school.
“I need to get my community service hours, and it’s obviously donating to help get this blood they need,” said Media Arts student Landon Keaton.
Jasiah Johnson
Junior Culinary student Jasiah Johnson made his third donation at Tuesday’s blood drive. “I already knew what the ‘poke’ would feel like because I had done it in my sophomore year,” said Jasiah. “It was easy this year.”
Allied Health students Nashka Hernandez and Kryslyn Haywood and Business student Jonathan Sanchez wore their Solvita high school blood drive “Do Good, Feel Good” t-shirts to donate.
“It’s my first time,” said Nashka. “I’ve seen my sister do it all the time. It’s saving lives and I’m in Allied Health.”
“I wanted to know my blood type,” said Jonathan. “I found out I was O negative. I keep doing it for community hours, and hoping everybody who needs blood gets it to save lives.”
Kryslyn made her second lifetime donation. “With three times you get the Red Cord, community service hours, and you’re saving lives,” she said, “so it’s a win, win, win.”
DAYTON, Ohio – According to Carly Simon, her “so vain” ex-boyfriend Mick Jagger “flew his Learjet up to Nova Scotia to see the total eclipse of the sun.” Dayton donor Stephanie Batting didn’t need a Learjet, just a pair of Solvita Eclipse Sunglasses, to win the $1,000 grand prize in the Solvita Solar Eclipse Selfie Contest.
Everyone who registered to donate with Solvita April 1-8 received a free pair of eclipse sunglasses and could enter the $1,000 drawing by posting a selfie wearing the glasses on social media and tagging Solvita.
Stephanie works for CareSource and only had to travel to the April 5 blood drive at the Dayton Metro Library – Vandalia Branch to donate, get her glasses, and post her picture.
“Wow! That so exciting!” said Stephanie. The glasses came in handy when she watched the solar eclipse on April 8. “Oh, my goodness it was amazing,” she said. “I didn’t know what to expect, but when it happened, I thought, ‘Now I understand why everybody makes such a big deal about it.’”
Stephanie is a type O negative “universal donor” who has been donating since 2011 and has 31 lifetime donations.
“I used to go with my dad when he donated blood,” she said. “I thought it was so cool he would do that and decided I would do it too.”
She had taken time off from donating recently for the birth of her son Peter, her first child. The value of blood donations suddenly hit home.
“Here we are years later,” she said of her “Donor for Life” journey. “I know I’m O negative. My son just recently had surgery and he needed blood. He’s six months old now and had surgery when he was three months. I know I can help other people the way it helped him.
“I will encourage everyone I know to donate because it’s so helpful and meaningful.”
Kevin Pleiman with wife Shelly & youngest sons Abram and Quinton.
FORT LORAMIE, Ohio – Kevin Pleiman’s life changed in a flash on a foggy December morning when a two-gallon fuel container exploded in his hands. Every moment since has been a painful, persistent, and patiently accepted struggle to slowly reclaim each part of his life the flames took away.
Kevin was burning lumber on the Camp Evergreen property he co-owns when the accident left him with third degree burns over 70% of his body. “In my mind I was thinking this was the end of me,” he said. “I’m going to burn up on this bridge. I thought about laying down and letting it end.”
His journey to survival began by crawling through a dry creek bed and digging for mud to put out the flames burning his clothes and skin.
Kevin entered the Miami Valley Hospital Regional Burn Center a week before Christmas and remained there 98 days before coming home a week before Easter.
Kevin is a blood donor with 69 lifetime donations. He received 27 blood transfusions during his treatment and was still undergoing skin graft surgeries on Feb. 20 when the St. Michael’s Hall blood drive dedicated in his honor registered 329 donors.
Kevin’s wife Shelly has kept family, friends and the community updated on Kevin’s recovery on their KT Prayerline Facebook page. “Shelly posted that about the blood transfusions on the Prayerline close to the blood drive so people would understand,” said Kevin.
He made it his mission to visit the April 16 St. Michael’s Hall blood drive to thank those he could. A mention on the KT Prayerline that Kevin would be visiting encouraged more appointments. The blood drive totaled 255 whole blood, platelet, and plasma donors.
Kevin takes multiple medications, has a daily wound care regimen and weekly physical therapy sessions. He uses a walker to get around as he continues to regain leg strength. His thigh muscles were deeply burned, and it will take months to recover from the atrophy of spending the entire winter in a hospital bed.
Tony Bornhorst greeting Kevin Pleiman.
Kevin is co-owner of the Rapid Development construction company in Fort Loramie and staff member Rob Siedel was one of the donors who visited with him as he sat in the Donor Café. Shelby County Commissioner Tony Bornhorst greeted him with a warm handshake after donating.
Anita Brandelwie donated then chatted with Kevin before joining her fellow Fort Loramie American Legion Auxiliary volunteers serving donors in the Donor Café.
“I’m here for him,” Anita said. “We had a garage fire in 2019. A gasoline container exploded, my husband and I caught on fire, and we lost our whole house.”
Like Kevin, she was transported by air ambulance and spent three months in the hospital. She visited Kevin when he first returned home to offer encouragement and answer questions.
“He wanted to see my scars,” she said. “He had questions, where did they take the skin from me? How long did it take to heal? Did they stiffen up?”
“Since my accident I’ve had three different burn victims reach out to me,” said Kevin. “It’s a club you don’t want to be in. You can’t explain it all.”
“It’s always the ‘what if?’” said Anita. “You’re asking yourself, is it my own fault? You can’t go down that hole. Maybe we’re here just to help someone else.”
Kevin with Anita Brandelwie.
Camp Evergreen, Dec. 16, 2023
“I grew up burning brush and junk, many, many times,” said Kevin. He had gone to Camp Evergreen to burn lumber from a low foot bridge he planned to replace. He arrived alone but noticed the parked vehicle belonging to his 18-year-old nephew Levi Gephardt who was deer hunting.
“Just started to work pretty early that Saturday morning. It was really, really foggy,” said Kevin.
He had a small flame started in the wood pile when he used recycled paint thinner to accelerate it.
“The first splash missed the fire, landed on the brush pile,” he said. “I put another splash on it. I think on that first splash the liquid ran into the fire and ran up to my container. Two gallons of paint thinner blew up in my hand.”
“It happened so fast, and I realized my clothing was on fire. I was a volunteer fire fighter for 20 years; I knew about fire. I dropped and tried to roll out the fire in the woods, but I was rolling in a dry area, seemed like I was getting nowhere.
“I could see leaves on fire, I was just starting a fire. I got up, took off my heavy coat, got that off. My pants were fully on fire, tried to get pants off but my hands were on fire, I could not work the belt buckle, my hand couldn’t work.
“I gave up. A lot of questions went through my mind. It was hurting pretty good. I couldn’t tell if it was going out or getting worse.
“At that point in my mind I was thinking this was the end of me, I’m going to burn up on this bridge. I thought about laying down and letting it end.”
Instead, he got up, and dropped the two feet from the bridge to a dry creek bed, hoping to walk to the nearby pond. It was too far to reach. He began clawing the dry creek bottom.
“I dug a hole until I reached water and that’s how I got myself out, splashing water from that muddy hole on my body,” he said.
He believes he broke his pinky finger while digging. The bone became infected, and part of the finger was later amputated.
Kevin had used all his strength to call out to his nephew Levi, who was on the far end of the 80-acre property.
“He heard the explosion, and he heard me yelling his name,” said Kevin. “In between the two of us was the big lodge,” said Kevin. “I hopped on my four-wheeler to get to the lodge.”
What he remembers most about that desperate journey was a flap of burned skin from his forehead covering his eyes, forcing him to tilt his head back to see where he was going. He met Levi at the lodge.
“The only clothes left on me was half of my t-shirt, part of my underwear and my shoes,” said Kevin. “I got in shower to cool my body down.”
Levi called 911 and called Shelly. “I don’t know what I would have done without him out there,” Kevin said. “I had no phone, no way to call out. My wife beat the squad there.”
He went by ambulance to the Houston Fire Department, then by CareFlight to Miami Valley Hospital. It was just the beginning of his recovery.
“In my mind I thought by Christmas I’d be home,” he said. “I didn’t know burns took so long to heal.”
Winter 2024
He has no memory of the next five weeks. He was heavily medicated for pain and went through multiple skin graft surgeries.
“Everybody has been burnt before, fingertips or something, it’s no fun,” said Kevin. “Just image that on your whole body, a third degree burn. Everyone knows what a burn feels like, but not to this percentage.”
But one memory is more vivid than the pain: “The support during that time, especially from my family,” he said. “Taking care of my kids.”
The Pleiman’s have five sons. Ethan is 23 and teaches at Sidney High School, Owen is a junior at Bowling Green University, Anderson is a freshman at Fort Loramie High School, Abram is a fourth grader and Quinton is a second grader at Fort Loramie Elementary School.
Shelly’s sister Denise Gaier and a group of fellow teachers took on the task of watching Abram and Quinton after school and helping with their homework, allowing Shelly to remain longer with Kevin at the hospital. Stacy Brandewie organized the schedule of meals donated and delivered to their home.
“It was a blessing to have someone help them every night and watch them,” said Kevin. “We got so many cards; everybody wants to do whatever they can do to help.”
Kevin said when he woke up in January he learned “the ball was already rolling” for the February St. Michael’s blood drive in his honor. “Everybody we were talking to wanted to help, but didn’t know how to help,” said Kevin. “That was a way to help, to go to this blood drive.”
The goal was 300 donors and it totaled 329, with many donors still coming well past the closing time. The biggest surprise was 37 first time donors. “That turns into additional donations over their lifetimes,” said Kevin.
He valued blood donations even more when he needed emergency platelets transfusions after his body reacted to Heparin, the medication he was receiving to prevent blood clots.
He is at a loss for words on why he and his family have received so much kindness. “I think it’s what I’ve given to the community,” he said. “I did a lot of work for local people and always treated them fairly.”
The day before he was discharged from the hospital, Australian plastic surgeon Dr. Fiona Woods was in the region for a conference and wanted to meet Kevin because a technique she pioneered is part of his treatment.
Dr. Woods invented the spray-on skin technique called “recell.” Healthy skin cells are cultured and sprayed onto the wounds, and they begin to grow, greatly reducing permanent scarring in burns victims. “It’s how they did my face,” said Kevin.
Spring 2024
The hospital staff celebrated Kevin on the day of his discharge, but it was a sobering farewell.
“The room I moved out of, I was there for 98 days, and somebody moved into it that night,” he said.
“It doesn’t end with needing blood. The nurses told us they had someone in there that night, and it seemed different because it was Kevin’s room. I went in a few days before winter and out in the spring. I spent the whole winter there.”
In the weeks since returning home Kevin celebrated Christmas on Easter Sunday, finally opening his presents still waiting under the Christmas tree. He belatedly celebrated his son Anderson’s 16th birthday and attended his Confirmation.
He is getting around better with the walker and looks forward to when his legs are healed enough that he can operate his four-wheeler. He is anxious to return to work and thinks about ways to give back.“I’m hoping someday to have good enough health to be able donate again,” he said.
“I’m exceeding expectations but everything seems slow,” he said. “I have to get my mind to accept everything is going to be a slow process.”
From the depths of a dry creek bottom, Kevin Pleiman is on the rise.
“We still have hills and valleys,” he said, “but they’re not as tall and deep.”
***
St. Michael’s Hall host blood drives every two months all sponsored by the Fort Loramie Community Service Club, Fort Loramie American Legion Ladies Auxiliary, St. Michael’s Church, and the St. Michael’s Knights of St. John.
Schedule an appointment to donate with Solvita on the Donor Time app, by calling (937) 461-3220, or at www.donortime.com.
Solvita Blood Center 