Thirty years ago, Gale and Jim Phillips’ infant son Colton was in an Oakland hospital fighting for his life. Now, three decades and countless blood transfusions later, Colton is doing well, and his parents are organizing a Red Cross blood drive in Idaho City to raise awareness of the profound impact blood donors have on families like theirs.
“We just felt like it was so important to give the community the opportunity to save a life,” she said.
A couple weeks after he was born, Colton became very sick, and Gale and Jim, who were living in Eureka, Calif., at the time, took him to a nearby hospital. Initially, doctors diagnosed him with hydrocephalus, which causes fluid buildup in the brain and excessive pressure. The Phillips were told a shunt would solve the problem.
But four weeks later Colton’s condition worsened, and he was life flighted to the Oakland Children’s Hospital. Within minutes of his arrival, an MRI revealed Colton had brain cancer. A 12-hour brain surgery followed.
“It was terrifying,” Gale said.
During that time, Colton’s entire blood supply had to be replaced three times.
“So at a very young age – my husband and I were 21 – we realized how important it was that people donated blood because without that our baby wouldn’t have made it,” she said.
During the next year, Colton was in and out of the Oakland hospital as he underwent chemotherapy and continued to receive blood transfusions. Things seemed to be heading in the right direction, but then doctors discovered cancer cells in his back and saw that his main tumor was growing. Meningitis followed, and Jim and Gale made the difficult decision to stop treatment and bring Colton home so he could be more comfortable. Against all odds, Colton began to recover.
Now age 30, Colton deals with epilepsy and other challenges related to his illness but is doing well and works a couple of hours each week at the local library. He plans to be at the family’s Red Cross blood drive Feb. 21 at the Christian Center in Idaho City.
“He wants to give back to the world that gave him his life,” Gale said. “Colton is in awe that we live in a world where we’re able to do this kind of stuff.”
Gale and Jim, who have lived in Idaho City for the past five years after 25 years in the Boise valley, are both blood donors, though Gale said she was a bit hesitant at first.
“I’m scared of needles so I’m just surprised at how easy and how comfortable the (staff) makes you feel,” she said. “The employees of the Red Cross are very understanding, compassionate and patient and they make a very uncomfortable thing comfortable.”
The Phillips said they hope this drive will be the first of many they will help organize and will never forget the generosity and kindness of the blood donors who helped keep their son alive during their darkest days.
“We are so grateful that they were able to be an instrumental part of saving our son’s life,” Gale said. “Without the blood, the doctors and the nurses and the hospitals couldn’t do it.”
DONATE LIFESAVING BLOOD
To find a blood drive near you and make an appointment to donate, visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter your zip code or call 800-RED-CROSS. Donating blood takes less than an hour and can help save more than one life.
CONSIDER ORGANIZING A BLOOD DRIVE
Are you interested in organizing a blood drive in your community? Learn more at RedCrossBlood.org/HostADrive.
