We will be forever indebted to you, soccer parents write

The annual Telegram Saves Lives campaign runs until Saturday. As part of our efforts to encourage people to give blood, we’re running a series of letters from people whose lives were changed by blood donation. The parents of a child who had an emergency need for blood submitted this one. The names of the parents are protected by a publication ban.

On Sept. 25, 2014, our 11-year-old son, player No. 12, suffered a near-fatal penetrating neck stab wound/trauma on the soccer field.

Bystanders, blood donors and an amazing emergency room and surgical team kept him alive.

Without any one of these three entities, we would have lost our beautiful, kind, smart and fun-loving son on that fateful day.

As parents, on that terrible night, saying goodbye was not an option.

When we saw him for a few seconds, just before he was rolled into the operating room, looking grey, pale and cold to our touch, we had no idea what the outcome would be.

Player No. 12 had profuse arterial and venous bleeding that required massive blood transfusions to keep him alive, until they could stabilize him and repair the artery with surgical intervention.

He suffered complete carotid artery dissection, as well as jugular vein dissection. He required a surgical graft for the carotid artery to maintain the blood flow to his brain. He lost the vein, as it was tied off.

Hours later, when he finally came out of the operating room that night, we breathed a huge sigh of relief that he was able to survive long enough to get the life-saving surgery.

We were told about the profuse bleeding and the need for “massive” blood transfusions to keep him alive. For that, we will be forever thankful to the many donors who sacrificed their time for our boy.

We have since set up an honour clinic every year to bring awareness to blood donation, as well as becoming blood donors ourselves.

It is one of the easiest and most beneficial things you can do to save a person’s life.

No one thinks they will ever need such huge amounts of blood product to keep them alive, until they do.

It could be a family member or friend who needs blood suddenly, and without the gift from others, they most certainly wouldn’t survive.

Please consider becoming a blood donor. It really is in you to give, and saving a life is such a wonderful reward for doing something so selfless.

It’s a great feeling to know you have helped someone in desperate need.

Without so many generous blood donors, No. 12 certainly wouldn’t be the thriving, bright and grateful boy he is today.

He is back to soccer, healthy and loving life.

Thanks again to all who made this possible. We will be forever indebted to you.