Car Crash Survivor Alison Cook Spreads Message About Importance of Blood Donations
Alison Cook sustained life-threatening injuries after a roll-over car accident, and required the replacement of 12 of the 14 units of blood in her body to stay alive.
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February 26, 2010
In 1997, Alison Cook sustained life-threatening injuries after a roll-over car accident, and required the replacement of 12 of the 14 units of blood in her body to stay alive. After a yearlong recovery, which included more transfusions and numerous surgeries, Cook finally recovered and has spent the last few years spreading the Red Cross message about the importance of donating blood, according to The Cross Timbers Gazette.
"Someone needs blood every two seconds, nationwide," she told the news provider, adding that donating just one unit of blood will save the lives of three people.
The 32-year-old, who is expecting her first child, works as a supervisor of Blood Donor Recruitment Resources for the American Red Cross' Southwest Region and says that her job is "to find those who just don't know how vital their donation will be."
Her message is made even more urgent given the fact that across America, some 16,000 people die in passenger car crashes every year. However, simple safety tips can help lower that number, and they include avoiding the use of cell phones to talk or text, as this can reduce the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37 percent, says Nationwide.com.
Refraining from driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is another way to reduce the number of deaths, as intoxication-related road accidents killed 11,773 people in 2008, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, an advocacy organization that accepts donations.
In 1997, Alison Cook sustained life-threatening injuries after a roll-over car accident, and required the replacement of 12 of the 14 units of blood in her body to stay alive. After a yearlong recovery, which included more transfusions and numerous surgeries, Cook finally recovered and has spent the last few years spreading the Red Cross message about the importance of donating blood, according to The Cross Timbers Gazette.
"Someone needs blood every two seconds, nationwide," she told the news provider, adding that donating just one unit of blood will save the lives of three people.
The 32-year-old, who is expecting her first child, works as a supervisor of Blood Donor Recruitment Resources for the American Red Cross' Southwest Region and says that her job is "to find those who just don't know how vital their donation will be."
Her message is made even more urgent given the fact that across America, some 16,000 people die in passenger car crashes every year. However, simple safety tips can help lower that number, and they include avoiding the use of cell phones to talk or text, as this can reduce the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37 percent, says Nationwide.com.
Refraining from driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is another way to reduce the number of deaths, as intoxication-related road accidents killed 11,773 people in 2008, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, an advocacy organization that accepts donations.
