Blood donors come forward for stabbed Polish mayor

WARSAW (AP) — Polish blood donors were coming forward in droves yesterday in a bid to save the life of Gdansk’s mayor, who needs transfusions after being stabbed in the heart and the abdomen while on stage at a charity event.

Doctors operated for five hours on Mayor Pawel Adamowicz, who was stabbed Sunday by an ex-convict who rushed onto the stage with a knife, carried out the attack and shouted it was political revenge against a political party Adamowicz had belonged to.

Adamowicz grabbed his belly and collapsed in front of the audience at the 27th annual fundraiser organized by the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity.

Doctors resuscitated Adamowicz on the spot and then transported him to Medical University of Gdansk, where he underwent five hours of surgery.

One of the surgeons, Dr. Tomasz Stefaniak, said Adamowicz was in “very, very serious condition” after he suffered a “serious wound to the heart, a wound to the diaphragm and to the internal organs.” He said Adamowicz needed massive blood transfusions.

He said the coming hours would be decisive and asked for thoughts and prayers for the mayor who has served since 1998.

Private TVN24 was showing people standing in line and then donating blood in Gdansk yesterday. Some said they were given time off work to help save Adamowicz. A rally against violence was also planned.