Giving gift of life Published Dec. 18, 2006 By 1st Lt. Lisa Ferguson Chief of Internal Information POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Most people have donated blood, but fewer are actually receivers of blood given at a blood drive. That was the story for Staff Sgt. Jesse Cravens, 43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron Fuels flight. "I've given blood one time at basic training, but due to deployments, I've been unable to give since then," he said. Two months ago Sergeant Cravens went into Womack Army Medical Center for a routine surgery for his Crohn's Disease. He spent one week at the hospital before being discharged to go home. "About four and a half hours after I was discharged, I just felt like something wasn't right," Sergeant Cravens said. His wife, Stacy, drove him back to the hospital where he was immediately taken into emergency surgery. He was put into a medically induced coma for two days. Over those two days, Sergeant Cravens underwent repeat surgeries and ended up receiving two units of blood. The blood came from Pope's October blood drive. "I owe a great deal to the people who donated blood, and I encourage anyone who can to come out and give blood," the sergeant said. In honor of someone else's selfless gift of blood, Mrs. Cravens is giving blood as often as she can. "This is the first time I've actually gotten to give blood, because my iron count has always been low," she said. Sergeant Cravens wants to encourage everybody who can to come out and give blood. "Bless the people who are willing to help others," he said. Sergeant Cravens spent the better part of two months recovering at the hospital and is now at home on convalescent leave. Pope's blood drive Dec. 6, had a record donor turnout at the Community Center, where 82 personnel pulled up their sleeves and gave blood to support the troops in Southwest Asia, according to Lt. Col. Emmett Gourdine, director of Fort Bragg Blood Donor Center. "Second Lieutenant Stuart coordinated the event and was instrumental in getting the word out to support the blood drive," Colonel Gourdine said. Col. John McDonald, 43rd Airlift Wing Vice Commander and Chief Master Sgt. Herb Hansen, 43rd Airlift Wing Command Chief, visited and were truly impressed with the donor turnout. The Fort Bragg Blood Donor Center is a member of the Armed Services Blood Program. The ASBP, established by the Department of Defense in 1952, has a mission to collect blood to support military members and their families during peacetime and war. Donating blood to the ASBP is particularly important because most of the blood collected by the military donor centers goes directly to the Air Force hospital in Balad, Iraq, and the Army hospital in Baghdad, Colonel Gourdine said.