DONATING GIFT OF BLOOD; HART DRIVE AN OUTLET FOR TEACHERS, FRIENDS OF BURNED TEEN-AGERS.Byline: Mary Schubert Daily News Staff Writer As two hospitalized teen-agers continued their slow recovery from severe burns, nearly 200 classmates Classmates can refer to either:
It's been more than a week since Christopher James Christopher James may refer to:
third-degree burns third npl → Verbrennungen pl dritten Grades over 35 percent of his body, while LeMar's injuries covered 12 percent of his body. The five-hour blood drive, staged at the Hart High gym, was arranged swiftly in response to an outpouring of concern for the boys. ``This is the only way I feel I can help,'' said David Ward, 17, as he munched a bagel and drank orange juice after giving a pint of blood. ``I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. them, but I feel really bad about what happened.'' At least half of the donors who flocked to Strauss Gymnasium were teen-agers, who had to obtain parental permission to give blood. For most of them, it was the first time they had donated blood. ``My body will grow back the blood in 72 hours. It's no big deal,'' said Ward, a senior. ``It's the least I can do.'' Kayce Kahl, 17, said she had been friends with the two since they all were in seventh grade at Placerita Junior High, and that connection has made the accident all the more distressing. ``It's been upsetting. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, this was all I could think about,'' she said. ``When I saw Chris (in the hospital), I started to cry because it could have happened to anyone,'' added Kahl, who had just donated blood. Many of the teens said they have felt powerless to help, so the blood drive gave them a constructive outlet for their worries. Among those who reclined re·cline v. re·clined, re·clin·ing, re·clines v.tr. To cause to assume a leaning or prone position. v.intr. To lie back or down. on the padded donor tables were several California Highway Patrol officers, Hart district Superintendent Bob Lee and Hart High Principal Gary Fuller. ``I've spoken to the (James and LeMar) families, and they're very appreciative,'' Fuller said. ``Nolan's dad was just here. He was very touched.'' Meanwhile, James underwent another operation Thursday to remove dead skin and to cover his burns with human cadaver cadaver /ca·dav·er/ (kah-dav´er) a dead body; generally applied to a human body preserved for anatomical study.cadav´ericcadav´erous ca·dav·er n. skin that acts as a temporary dressing until skin grafts can be performed, said Larry Weinberg, spokesman for the Grossman Burn Center at Sherman Oaks Hospital Sherman Oaks Hopital (SOH) is an 153 bed acute care facility in Sherman Oaks, California, USA and is home of world renowned the Grossman Burn Center. SOH is owned and operated by Prime Healthcare Services, Inc. . James has already had a few surgeries, and doctors also have ``stripped'' the teen's vocal cords vocal cords: see larynx. Vocal cords The pair of elastic, fibered bands inside the human larynx. The cords are covered with a mucous membrane and pass horizontally backward from the thyroid cartilage (Adam's apple) to insert on , which were seared sear 1 v. seared, sear·ing, sears v.tr. 1. To char, scorch, or burn the surface of with or as if with a hot instrument. See Synonyms at burn1. 2. when he inhaled superheated su·per·heat tr.v. su·per·heat·ed, su·per·heat·ing, su·per·heats 1. To heat excessively; overheat. 2. air generated by the Nov. 25 blast. He remains in critical condition, and Weinberg said it's still too early for doctors to determine whether James will ever be able to speak again. Surgeons will next evaluate James on Monday to decide when his body is ready for skin grafting Skin Grafting Definition Skin grafting is a surgical procedure by which skin or skin substitute is placed over a burn or non-healing wound to permanently replace damaged or missing skin or provide a temporary wound covering. . Until then, doctors are monitoring his condition closely because James is vulnerable to pneumonia, respiratory ailments and especially a life-threatening bacterial infection related to the burns, Weinberg said. ``He's had dead tissue hanging on 35 percent of his body for a week, and that tissue decays,'' Weinberg said. ``Those bacteria could get into his bloodstream and give him an infection called sepsis, which sometimes is fatal.'' Doctors could decide today when to release LeMar from the hospital, Weinberg added. A few of the donors said LeMar's father, Dean, also had been the victim of serious burns resulting from a fire several years ago at Castaic Lake. ``It's scary to think of all the pain they're going to have to go through,'' said Travis Richardson, 19, who said Dean LeMar had been his PONY League baseball coach. ``I feel bad for them. They need all the help they can get.'' A fund has been established to help the families of Chris James and Nolan LeMar offset medical expenses. Donations can be sent to the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation, 3600 Ocean View Blvd., Suite 1, Glendale, CA 91208. For information on the James/LeMar fund, call (818) 249-2230 CAPTION(S): 4 Photos PHOTO (1--Color) (Ran in SAC Edition only) Hart High senior Carrie Corram, 18, lets out a yelp as she gives blood for the first time Thursday. (2) (Ran in SAC Edition only) Hart High School senior Beth Liescheidt looks at the flow from her arm as she gives blood at the campus gymnasium. Hans Gutknecht/Daily News (3) (Ran in SAC Edition only) James (4) (Ran in SAC Edition only) LeMar |
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