William DeJong, pictured here with his family, received more than 100 units of blood after being seriously injured in a dairy farming accident. He underwent two dozen surgeries. “If people didn’t give blood, I wouldn’t be here today,” the Wendell, Idaho, man said.
Among the medical professionals, helicopter pilot, cool-headed dairy manager and others who came to the rescue after his horrific injury, William DeJong owes his life to generous blood donors he’ll likely never meet.
“If people didn’t give blood, I wouldn’t be here today,” he said. “I’m 100 percent thankful for the ones whose blood I received, especially with my blood type. I needed a lot of blood.”
The Wendell, Idaho, dairy farmer received upwards of 104 units of blood during his three-month intensive care stay, two-dozen surgeries and two amputations.
William, 48, was having a busy morning moving cows around the farm and hurrying to wrap up work so he could take the family to their cabin. He jumped into a pen and didn’t notice the feed truck backing up. The 30-ton truck ran over him in two directions.
“All pandemonium broke loose,” William said. “I could feel myself bleeding to death from broken femurs. My feeder was crying he’d killed his boss. Everybody was just frozen.”
The dairy manager called 911 and asked for a helicopter. Even so, William didn’t arrive at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls for an hour.
He had no blood pressure and was “basically dead,” he said. William remained in a coma for 2½ weeks. He went through 24 surgeries, had a broken collarbone, and lost his left leg below the knee and later the right leg, too. The medical center treated him much like a burn victim, with skin grafts and sessions in a hyperbaric chamber.
William needed scores of transfusions during a blood shortage, and he needed an unusual type. His hemoglobin levels would drop as he battled infections, and he’d need yet more.
William’s family stepped forward as blood donors during his ordeal, too.
William and his wife, Renee, have three children, ages 23, 20, and 16. His daughter, a junior, hopes to organize a blood drive for her senior project. She’s calling on her dad to share his story of how important blood donation is.
“I’m so thankful for the people who give blood,” he said. “I have a new respect for blood donors.”
William can’t do everything he once did yet, but he’s back to work. He savors things he once took for granted like walking, seeing his children hit milestones, being with his wife and the love and support of his community.
“I value friendships more. I value my family more,” he said.
“Life is definitely different, but I’m not going to let it get me down,” he said.
“It is what it is, and I can move forward. If I can plant that seed of inspiring blood donation from my story, that makes me happy.”
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