Article Contributed on: 8/27/2009 3:50:43 PM
Before being diagnosed with bone cancer in July 2007, Jason Lansdown was what many would call a typical teenager, but after a grueling surgery to remove a cancerous tumor and to replace his tibia with a state-of-the-art prosthetic he is now known as a "bionic boy."After returning to life as a typical teenager, the 18-year-old cancer-free Lansdownwas given the opportunityto meet some of the selfless blood donors who helped save his life at Bonfils Blood Center's annual Community Lifelines event including two who work and live in Aurora.The event was held Thursday, Aug. 20 at 1 p.m. at the blood center's headquarters in Denver.
First believed to be nothing more than a stress fracture, Lansdown and his family were given the devastating news by medical experts at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center (P/SL), the pain in his leg was not a stress fracture, but cancer - osteosarcoma. Following the diagnosis, Lansdown endured months of chemotherapy and a five-hour surgery to replace his tibia and knee. Jason also received 20 blood transfusions during his treatment.
The event featured remarks from Bonfils President and CEO Tom Puckett and Mimi Roberson, president and CEO of P/SL and Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at P/SL as well as Lansdown's surgeon Ronald R. Hugate, MD. Lansdown himself will also thank his medical team and blood donors for saving his life.
Bonfils' partnership with P/SL began in 1940s when the blood center opened. The partnership grew in 1989 when Bonfils aligned with the Rocky Mountain Bone and Marrow Transplant Program to facilitate stem cell and marrow transplants. Since 2000, Bonfils has provided an average of 11,000 blood products per year for the benefit of patients in need in our community.
About Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center
For 128 years, P/SL has been meeting the healthcare needs of patients and their families from across the Rocky Mountain and Great Plains regions, and from around the world. With over 80 specialties, 1,000 specialists and primary care physicians, and 1,600 employees, P/SL is the only tertiary/quaternary care hospital in a seven state region that offers one campus with leading comprehensive care, featuring Advanced Centers for Minimally Invasive Surgery, Cardiovascular Services, Cancer/BMT, Pediatrics, Maternal-Fetal Care, Orthopedics, Kidney Transplant, HBO, Wound Healing, Infectious Diseases and more. P/SL provides compassionate and innovative care. Licensed for 680 beds, P/SL is the largest hospital in Colorado.www.pslmc.com www.bestcareforme.com
About Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at P/SL
Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at P/SL (RMHC at P/SL) is a regional resource for specialty pediatric care founded nearly twenty years ago by private practice pediatric specialists at HealthONE's Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center in central Denver. It is home to the region's largest and most successful high-risk maternity service and an 84-bed intensive care newborn nursery-keeping mothers and babies together in the same hospital for optimal care. A $113 million pediatric facility will open on the P/SL campus in 2010, expanding current pediatric services into a new 64-bed inpatient unit and creating additional operating room and pediatric intensive care areas.
RMHC at P/SL's focus on patient care and quality monitoring extends throughout HealthONE's family of hospitals to enhance existing services and bring specialty care closer to patients in their home community. HealthONE hospitals provided care to nearly 100,000 children in 2007 through inpatient and outpatient services.
www.rockymountainhospitalforchildren.com
About Bonfils Blood Center
For more than 65 years, Bonfils Blood Center has successfully managed the community blood supply and played an integral role in Colorado's healthcare system. Bonfils Blood Center supplies blood to nearly 200 healthcare facilities and needs to collect more than 3,300 blood donations weekly to meet the needs of the community and to be prepared for any unexpected events. For information about Bonfils Blood Center please call 303.366.2000 or visit www.bonfils.org.