Topeka, Kan.
“I came back to life,” recalls the 24-year-old.
That was March 30, 2021. At one point, Jacob was in the car with his mother, sister, and his 8-month-old nephew. Then he looked at the bumper.
“I remember looking at my mother and saying, ‘Be prepared for the impact,'” he said.
A Cadillac Escalade was driving backwards on Southwest Polk on 5th Street. It smashed into Jacob’s family’s car at over 80 mph, crumpling it and tipping it over on its side.
“I was folded like a pancake under the airbag,” said Jacob.
Jacob’s mother and sister were injured, and unfortunately his nephew did not survive. In his ER at Stormont Vail, Jacob initially thought he was fine.
“I told them I’m fine, I’m going home. Please get up and get out,” he said. .
Jacob collapsed and his heart stopped.
“All the bones that make up my pelvis were broken.
The trauma team took action to get his heart beating back.
“Jacob ended up needing blood from 26 different donors to save his life,” said Teresa Taylor, RN, Trauma Services Program Manager at Stormont Vail.
Taylor says that in a large-scale case like Jacob’s, having a blood supply ready is essential.
“I don’t have time,” she said. “Without blood pumping through the body to deliver oxygen and nutrients to these organs, there is no chance of recovery. There is nothing to fix.”
Trauma patients are not the only ones who need blood transfusions.
“Sometimes moms with babies are in an emergency and need a blood transfusion. Little little babies, all kinds of medical patients need blood transfusions,” she said.
Taylor says she’s often surprised by the fact that locally donated blood stays local and helps people in her community.
“I just knew people gave their own stuff and I had no idea where it was going… Really great,” Taylor said.
Jacob spent a month and a half in a medically-induced coma, another month in the hospital, and another three and a half months in a rehab facility.
“There are 1,000 pins holding my hips in place, four screws, two bolts and a plate in my ribs,” he said.
He is grateful to all the medical staff for getting him back on his feet, but he is most grateful to the 26 people who rolled up his sleeves and gave him the gift of life.
“It means a lot,” he said. “If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here today.”
The blood supply is low at this time of year, and weather, illness, and holidays keep regular blood donors away. Not only does blood need to be kept fresh at all times, it also needs to be constantly replenished as it is used daily.
The Regional Blood Center in Topeka, located at 29 SW, just west of Wanamaker, has daily blood donation times. Visit https://savealifenow.org/ to check hours of operation or to set up an appointment. They and the Red Cross regularly donate blood. Visit their page to find Red Cross blood donations.
By the way, the driver who hit Jacob and his family has postponed the trial until this summer.
Regional blood center
Find a Red Cross blood donation
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