After 7 surgeries, local man wants to organize a blood drive

WINCHESTER — Everett “Buddy” Morgan wants to pay it forward.

Morgan, who has worked for 44 years at Cives Steel in Winchester, had a recent medical emergency that required him to receive dozens of units of blood. He now wants to organize a blood drive so the community can help him replenish the American Red Cross’ local blood inventory while at the same time expressing gratitude to the hospital that saved his life, Winchester Medical Center.

“I had a bleeding ulcer and they couldn’t find it,” Morgan said. “I went through seven surgeries and 74 pints of blood.”

Morgan’s medical troubles began on Dec. 7 after he passed out at home and had to be transported by Winchester Medical Center by ambulance. The last of his seven surgeries was on New Year’s Day.

One reason why doctors had a tough time finding his bleeding ulcer was due to Morgan’s situs inversus, a rare genetic condition that placed his internal organs in reverse. For example, human hearts are usually on the left side of a person’s chest, but Morgan’s is on the right.

During his final surgery on Jan. 1, Morgan said his heart stopped but the hospital’s medical staff was able to get it beating again.

After spending 68 days as a patient at Winchester Medical Center — he was discharged on Feb. 17 — Morgan’s problematic ulcer was finally repaired but it required him to lose a third of his stomach.

He was healthy enough to return to work in July, but he’s not quite done with the operating room. Morgan said he still has a surgical incision from Jan. 1 that never closed properly, leaving him with an open wound that his physician plans on closing soon.

“Most of it’s healed except for one spot across my chest,” Morgan said. “They were hopeful the skin would overlap my rib bone but it didn’t. The doctor is going to have to go in and shave the rib bone down so a plastic surgeon can fix the spot.”

Otherwise, he said, “I’m feeling good. Thanks to the good nurses and doctors and God’s help, I’m where I’m at.”

Morgan said he would feel better if he could help replenish the 74 units of blood used during his surgeries so they’re available for other people facing serious health crises like the one he experienced.

“I figured that would be the least I could do,” he said. “At one time, they said I ran them out of blood.”

Morgan wants to organize a blood drive. He said his son has contacted the Greater Shenandoah Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross in Winchester, and coworker Michele Crouse from Cives Steel’s administrative team has identified a few possible locations to host the collection, but for one reason or another, the pieces simply haven’t fallen into place yet.

“I’d like to have a blood drive set up pretty close to my work because I feel like coworkers would give,” Morgan said. “It’s a worthy cause and the community needs to give blood for incidents like what I went through.”

Morgan said he’s going to keep at it until a blood drive can be held. Meanwhile, you can donate blood at your convenience at the Winchester Red Cross Blood Donation Center at 561 Fortress Drive. The facility is open 1-7 p.m. Tuesday, noon-6 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday. To schedule an appointment, visit https://rcblood.org/3Q8pomt or call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

“You never know when you might need blood,” Morgan said, “so donating is a worthwhile cause.”