“While I was slowly bleeding to death under the tree, William crawled under the debris to access my arm to give me life-saving blood and meds until they could get me out. William saved my life.”
This is the story of Katie McClanahan – mother, wife, daughter, friend … Her life changed in an instant during a storm last spring. In tandem with Katie’s recovery journey, she has become an ardent advocate for blood donation and shares her passionate pursuit.
“I was home alone unpacking boxes so we could move into our new home in the following days. I heard a loud sound and ran to our bedroom window, looked up over my shoulder and was instantly knocked to the ground – surrounded by darkness. I was face down and frog-legged with a shattered pelvis. It was a massive tree, four feet in diameter, crushing me. I broke into tears, screaming for help but no one heard me. It began to rain; I could feel the weight of everything on top of me. Attic insulation was up against my face and became saturated with rainwater. Everything was so heavy. I couldn’t move. I was going to drown or be crushed (or unbeknownst to me, bleed) to death.
I did the only thing I knew to do. I prayed and surrendered my life to the Lord. Full, absolute surrender. I asked that He allow me to watch over my children for the rest of their lives and to give Alan the strength to do it alone and to move on. I laid my head down to die.
It was moments later that a neighbor found me. When first responders arrived on the scene it took them three and a half hours to get me out. All my love to the men of Engine 12, Rescue Unit 2 and Truck 9.”
Blood administration by prehospital personnel wasn’t available; when UAMS Trauma Surgeon Dr. Ben Davis heard about Katie’s situation, he went to the scene and brought the blood that saved her life. Firefighter William McCullar climbed under the debris to start IV’s and give medication. Dr. Davis elaborates, “This is not protocol, but we don’t flinch when lives are at stake.”
Arkansas Task Force 1 Urban Search & Rescue and City of Little Rock Fire Department recounts, “Working alongside MEMS and UAMS teams, responders administered blood products in the field, marking the first time in our department’s history that this advanced medical intervention was performed on-scene.”
Arkansas is one of the few states that does not allow blood to be administered by front-line prehospital personnel. Katie is working with a team of industry leaders – from UAMS trauma surgeons to EMS directors and legislators – to change this law. “It is now my life’s mission to make prehospital blood the standard of care in Arkansas.”
When we asked Katie, “What can anyone do right now to help?” DONATE BLOOD. “When minutes matter, donor blood can save a life, like mine.”
Dr. Davis explains that while Arkansans consume nearly 90,000 units annually – only 60,000 units are donated by Arkansans. “This means that as a state we depend on the generosity of our neighbors in surrounding states to get our fellow Arkansans the blood they need.” He notes most friends, patients and acquaintances across the state don’t realize this. “I know Arkansans, and I know they are some of the most generous, neighborly people on the planet. I know for a fact that if they haven’t donated enough blood to take care of their own, it is because they just didn’t know there was a need.” Katie adds, “Donor blood, along with about 100 other acts of God, saved my life on April 5th.”
SAVE A LIFE – DONATE BLOOD
ourbloodinstitute.org/where/donor-centers/little-rock-donor-center
