JOSH’S MEMORY LIVES ON
Late son inspires blood donor clinic
Doug and Tammy Krystia of Windsor have always donated blood, but it wasn’t until their son Josh was in hospital fighting for his life that they realized its true importance.
“We’ve donated blood but I’ve never understood how much blood someone could need,” Tammy said. “There was a day in hospital when he needed two bags of platelets and they only had one available and they weren’t sure who was going to get it. That really brought it home for us.”
On Saturday, the Windsor couple held a blood donor drive in memory of their son, Josh, 12, who died of cancer Dec. 3, 2015. Josh was diagnosed in July 2015 with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer which can often be beaten with proper treatment. After several rounds of treatment, the family was feeling optimistic.
But, in October 2015, Josh became sick and was put on a ventilator despite the fact his leukemia was in remission. The next day he was diagnosed with a second very rare cancer with a poor prognosis. He immediately started treatment and seemed to be feeling better, but he contracted an E. coli infection and his body was too weak to fight.
“I think all we could do was cling to hope,” Tammy said. “I think if you give up on hope you don’t fight anymore. I think the whole way through it we always thought he would be the one that would beat it.”
During Josh’s cancer journey he never stopped fighting. Prior to his diagnosis, the Grade 7 St. Pius student had a zest for life and a love of nature. He loved to tell jokes and pull pranks on his dad. In fact, the initial day he was diagnosed with leukemia he told his mom, stuff happens, let’s move on.
His family and friends rallied around him, often making the drive to London to visit and keep him company.
“We had a plan when he was sick that we were going to give back because he was so overwhelmed with the support he got,” Tammy said. “And he couldn’t wrap his head around that. He just kept saying we’ve got to pay this forward.”
When Doug would go to donate while Josh was in treatment, the spunky 12-year-old would turn to his mom and tell her to go to the clinic and donate as well. Throughout Josh’s five months in treatment, he used more than 170 units of blood product.
“He used so much blood and for us we didn’t get it,” Doug said. “When he was in the hospital he was just always getting stuff, at times there were 10 bags of stuff on his IV pole. We didn’t really realize how much blood he got until afterward when we were talking to other people.”
When Josh passed in December 2015, his parents decided to pay it forward in their son’s memory. Every year they hold a blood donor clinic around Dec. 3 (the anniversary of his death), his birthday in April and Childhood Cancer month in September. Doug also volunteers with Canadian Blood Services on their Blood Donor Recruitment committee. Saturday’s clinic was the fifth the family has organized.
“For us it all comes down to that moment in London, it’s 1 p.m and he’s getting the last available bag of blood,” Doug said. “It just doesn’t make sense. It just doesn’t.”
“There’s just not enough blood and yet we all have it to give,” Tammy added.
We’ve donated blood but I’ve never understood how much blood someone could need.