Community members around Vermont’s Rutland County are getting ready for the twentieth anniversary of the Gift of Life Marathon, a series of four blood drives in Rutland and Castleton.
A Rutland man who was recently on the receiving end of donated blood is using his personal story to help drive interest in the marathon, hoping hundreds of folks will support the effort this year.
Alex Adams, a member of the Rutland Board of Aldermen who works at Green Mountain Power, suffered a series of heart attacks in February and had several blood clots. He told NBC5 News his doctors believe the problems were linked to a viral infection that weakened his heart.
“They rushed me to UVM and said I needed a stent immediately,” Adams recalled, adding that he also needed blood transfusions to reduce how hard his heart had to work until it was strong enough to beat on its own.
Because of his appreciation for blood donations, Adams is serving this year as the ambassador for the Gift of Life Marathon, helping promote the four-day collection drive in Rutland County. The event comes at a crucial time of year, because the American Red Cross says weather, seasonal illnesses, and holiday plans tend to decrease the turnout of blood donors.
Leave a Reply