Our Red Cross Story: The Jokl Family

 By Sandy Habib, Red Cross Volunteer

In 2014 and early 2015, Lee and Kirsten Jokl were excited soon-to-be, first-time parents. By all accounts, Kirsten’s pregnancy was normal until early February 2015, when their son Elin was born six weeks prematurely. While being born so early can pose a huge challenge on its own, it was just the beginning of a slew of surgeries and procedures that Elin would soon face. 

Doctors quickly discovered that he was born with a blockage in his small intestine. At just 16 hours old, Elin underwent his first surgery. His medical team identified a blockage and removed the perforated section, thinking Elin’s problems were solved. Ten days later and still in the hospital, Elin’s body was fighting an infection in his bloodstream and became septic due to another blockage that doctors hadn’t previously discovered. He was then rushed to the Johns Hopkins Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where he received his first Red Cross blood transfusion. Within days, he needed another surgery and with it, another blood transfusion.

Elin Jokl underwent his first of five surgeries just 16 hours after he was born.

Professionally, Kirsten is a Senior Physician Assistant in the Adult Emergency Department at Johns Hopkins Hospital. This enabled the couple to be highly involved in nearly every aspect of Elin’s care. A large part of his care at the time included ongoing blood transfusions. Lee discussed options with Johns Hopkins and the Red Cross; the team approved a plan that enabled Lee to donate lifesaving blood that went straight to his son, known as a “directed donation.”

After six blood transfusions, five surgeries and nearly three months in the NICU, Elin was finally able to go home in late April 2015. Since then, Lee, Kirsten, and Elin welcomed another addition to the family, Eva, born in 2017, and they are all happy and healthy. Elin knows the story of his early months and shows off his prominent belly scars as badges of honor. He is currently busy preparing for another proud moment, his first day of kindergarten.

Elin Jokl is ready for his next milestone: kindergarten.

Meanwhile, Lee has been doing what he can to build awareness for the critical – and constant – need for blood donors. He works at T. Rowe Price, a large financial services firm, and helped support regular on-site blood drives prior to COVID-19; he is eager to continue these workplace drives once it is safe to do so.

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“Giving blood really is one of the easiest, most selfless things someone can do to have a huge, positive impact on another person. It means so much, as we know very personally.”

- Kirsten Jokl

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He stays engaged with the Red Cross as a Board Member for the Central Maryland Chapter. The Board promotes the need for financial and blood donations in the local community, among other organizational priorities that support the Red Cross mission. The group recently participated in Central Maryland’s August “Run for the Red,” a virtual race through which runners secured sponsorships and donations that went to the Red Cross. Lee participated in the inaugural event “Run for the Red” and enjoyed the experience and sharing his accomplishment with friends and family on social media. 

Elin is healthy today in large part because of the generosity of blood donors and the Red Cross. Based on their experience with the Red Cross, Lee and Kirsten are all too happy to give back and encourage others to do the same.

The happy Jokl family today.

 

Lee explains, “I greatly appreciate anyone who takes time out of their day to donate blood, as well as the Red Cross for getting it to those in need. It was a huge process to get Elin all the blood he needed in those early months and I’m eternally grateful for all that the Red Cross did to partner with the hospital and help save Elin’s life. He wouldn’t be here today without all that.” 

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Give the gift of life by rolling up your sleeve and donating blood today – you can save up to three lives with every selfless donation. 

Make an appointment here: https://www.redcrossblood.org

Why you’re better than 32% of most people

By Ian Seth Levine, Volunteer

I'm not going to try to convince you to donate blood. There's something so sacred about blood that we create folklore centered on creatures taking it from us: the German Alp, the Jewish Lilitu, the Latin American Chupacabra. While these creatures aren't real, our fear of losing something valuable is.  And from that fear stems myths not only about losing blood, but also about freely giving it away. For example, many people think that donating blood is an inconvenient, unnecessary, and painful way to contract an exotic and incurable disease. But much like Dracula, these are only myths.

Here are the facts:
A single car accident victim could need up to 100 pints of blood. If we took all of the drivers who crashed their cars last year in Virginia, we could completely pack Camden Yards, Yankee Stadium, PNC Field, and BB&T Ballpark. A person can donate only one pint of blood at a time, so can you really rely on enough people to step up and donate should you need it?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. Why? 17% of people surveyed who don't donate blood say it's because they "never thought about it." In other words, if you asked one hundred people to help you after a serious collision, the first seventeen would completely ignore you. Then, an additional fifteen people would tell you they're "too busy.”

I'm not going to presume to know your schedule. I know only my schedule. I teach for two universities, write articles and blog posts for American Red Cross, and run my namesake blog about writing. It took me longer than I'd care to admit, but I'm not as busy as I thought. In between my responsibilities were pockets of down time, which I tended to fill with binge-watching and PinstaSnap BookTube. But in less time than it took to watch an episode of Narcos, even I donated blood.

 

I think blood is fascinating. For example, the milky blue blood of the horseshoe crab is so good at detecting infections it's valued at $14,000 a quart by biomedical companies. Your blood has traces of gold in it. Some insects have violet blood. Dogs have blood types just like humans.

And, if you scheduled an appointment to donate right now, you'd be better than 32% of most people.

Keeping her husband’s memory alive through blood donations: Q&A with Stephanie Hilgenfeld

Stephanie Hilgenfeld's husband, Steve, underwent a multi-organ transplant in April 2017. After his body rejected the first transplanted organs, Steve received a second transplant. While recovering in the hospital in November, Steve passed away unexpectedly at just 38 years old, leaving Stephanie to raise their three young children.

“Even though Steve didn’t live to tell his story, I feel it is my purpose to share it and bring as much good out of our loss as possible,” said Stephanie.

Steve and family

During his surgeries, Steve needed over 300 blood products, an amount that struck a chord with Stephanie. She was also told at one point they didn’t have enough blood on hand, and they were working to get more. His surgery wasn’t delayed long, but it still took her by surprise.

The reality of blood not being available is why the American Red Cross launched the Missing Types campaign to raise awareness of the need for new blood donors – and those who haven’t given in a while – to donate and help ensure lifesaving blood is available for patients in need. Right now, the A’s, B’s and O’s – representing the main blood groups – have gone missing from signage, websites, social media and other public-facing platforms to illustrate the critical role every blood donor plays.

This past spring, Stephanie hosted her first blood drive in Steve's memory. We had the privilege of speaking with her about her blood drive and her newfound passion to encourage others to donate.

Had you ever thought about blood donation before Steve needed transfusions?
Yes, I had thought about blood donation before Steve's transfusions, but just never took that initial step to do it. Steve donated blood when he was able, and I always thought I should too. I'm really not sure why I never took that initial step. I think a lot of it was being nervous about what all was involved to donate.

Steve transplant units

How did it feel to know that others were moved to give blood for the first time for Steve? 
It's an indescribable feeling. Seeing good things come from our tragedy helps ease the ache in our hearts. To come and give for the first time, even though they may have been really nervous, is something I'll be forever grateful for.

What was it like to be told that the hospital didn’t have the blood on hand that Steve needed? 
At first I was confused, like how could they run out of blood products? And what happens then? They reassured me he wouldn't go without, they had enough and were working with another Red Cross to get more. I just never thought that would be something that could happen.

Stephanie
#MissingType

What would you say to a stranger who is on the fence about donating blood?
Think of it as a gift – a gift of more time, a gift of making a procedure possible and the greatest gift of all, the gift of life. Don't wait to donate until it affects your or a loved one’s life. And if you're nervous, just remember you're saving lives, how awesome is that?!

Ready to become a Red Cross blood donor and join the #MissingType movement?  

1.  Schedule your appointment at RedCrossBlood.org/MissingTypes or with the Blood Donor App.
2.  Encourage a friend or family member to roll up a sleeve too.
3.  Spread the word!
   -          Take a photo with a selfie sign and post it to your social media along with the message “I am the #MissingType.”
   -          Write out your name with the A’s, B’s and O’s missing on the “blank” selfie sign, and take a photo with it. (Underscores are recommended. Example: _meric_n Red Cr_ss)
   -          Visit RedCrossBlood.org to share a Missing Types message on your social media.