Injured instructor inspires blood drive

NAIT students and people from all walks of life rolled up their sleeves in honour of a beloved instructor and first responder Thursday.

Jennifer McNalley, a practicum co-ordinator of the advanced care paramedic program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, organized a blood drive for Charles Neher, who was badly injured earlier this year.

Neher was hurt when an almost 15-metre-tall poplar tree fell on him in July.

He underwent brain surgery and spinal surgery and was in a coma for several weeks, said McNalley, his friend and co-worker in the paramedic program. He received several blood transfusions.

Neher was sent home from the hospital earlier in November. The accident left him paralyzed from the spine down, McNalley said.

His friends came together to organize a blood drive for him when he was in the hospital, she said.

On Thursday, 143 friends and strangers donated more blood.

“It was in Chuck’s honour, but it was to highlight that you can do so much by doing so little,” McNalley said.

NAIT runs a blood drive on behalf of Canadian Blood Services several times a year, said Marta Gold, a NAIT spokeswoman.

“Blood drives like this one help stock their blood supplies,” she said. “This blood drive is being organized by the students in support of Chuck, but also to support Canadian Blood Services generally.”