Thanks to donors,
Katie ‘doing great’
The McKenzie family
By Helen Altonn
urges everyone to support
the blood bank
Star-BulletinBlood donations last August saved the life of 12-year-old Katie McKenzie, and she's "doing great" now, according to her mother.
Katie was struck by a car Aug. 8 and wouldn't have survived if the Blood Bank of Hawaii hadn't responded, said Carole McKenzie.
"There are other people out there like Katie," she said, joining the Blood Bank in urging residents to donate blood during the Fourth of July weekend and summer months, when supplies dwindle.
"Unfortunately, there will be accidents," McKenzie said. "I went off to work that morning never knowing. How would you ever imagine you would be in a situation like that?"
A car veered out of control and hit Katie while she was walking with her father, Roger McKenzie, and 11-year-old brother, Rory, in the courtyard of the downtown Bank of Hawaii.
She was in a coma for nearly a month. She lost her spleen and left kidney. She had a crushed pelvis, a fractured skull and two broken legs.
"She was bleeding internally," her mother said, "and ultimately had 15 pints of blood."
An appeal was made for donations because of a low supply of Katie's type O negative blood. She had four surgeries in three weeks.
"If people hadn't responded, and if we hadn't had blood available, she wouldn't have survived the first hour, much less the first weekend," McKenzie said.
Her daughter doesn't remember the accident, she said. "She's really had a good attitude. She's done well at physical therapy."
It's not clear whether the Kailua Intermediate eighth-grader will need more surgery, she said.
"The important thing is she lived. We're very fortunate. . . . We have our Katie. She's a delightful, strong child, and she's come through this like a champion."
The state's blood supply is at a comfortable level, but the Blood Bank is concerned about major trauma accidents during the holiday weekend, said Judi Young, chief operating officer.
"People will make a three-day weekend out of it," she said. "It will be a very long weekend if we don't get in our 200 donors every day. We do want to be prepared for anticipated accidents."
Extra blood was shipped to Wilcox Memorial Hospital on Kauai last week when a helicopter crashed on the island, Young said. "We could do that because the supply was at an adequate level."
The last public appeal for donors was over the Memorial Day weekend in May, Young noted. People who might have been holding off for July 4 responded, and can't give blood again for eight weeks, she said.
Only 2 percent of Hawaii's population donates blood regularly, compared to an average of 3 to 4 percent on the mainland, Young said.
The Blood Bank of Hawaii at 2043 Dillingham Blvd. will be open tomorrow and Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Isle blood bank
open on holidayThe staff and their families will cook hot dogs for donors, Chief Operating Officer Judi Young said. "We're not taking a holiday, because patients of Hawaii don't get one."
The blood bank also will have a bus from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at the Pearl Highlands Center for a blood drive with the center and Signature Theaters. There will be free popcorn.
The donor center will be closed Sunday, but the Bloodmobile will be at Kapolei Shopping Center from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
For more information or to make an appointment to give blood, call 845-9966. Neighbor islanders can call toll-free at 1-800-372-9966.
