SURGEON’S
BLOOD SAVES PATIENT

Topics: Atonement; Blood of Christ; Christlikeness; Cross; Giving; Healing; Help from God; Imitation of Christ; Ministry; Receiving Christ; Redemption; Righteousness; Sacrifice; Salvation; Savior

References: John 6:53; Ephesians 2:13; Hebrews 9:14; 13:12; 1 Peter 1:18–19; 1 John 1:7

Dr. Samuel Weinstein, chief of pediatric cardio-thoracic surgery for Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, went to El Salvador in 2006 with Heart Care International to provide life-saving operations for poor children.

It would take more than expertise and advanced equipment to save the life of Francisco Calderon Anthony Fernandez, eight, however. After twelve hours of surgery, the boy began to bleed out of control. The hospital lacked both the medicines to stop the bleeding and the blood to give the boy transfusions. Francisco’s blood type was B-negative, which—according to the American Red Cross—is present in only 2 percent of the population.

Dr. Weinstein had the same blood type. So he set aside his scalpel, took off his gloves, and began washing his hands and forearm. Then he sat down and had his blood drawn.

When he had given his pint, Dr. Weinstein drank some bottled water and ate a Pop-Tart. Then—twenty minutes after stepping away from the table—he rejoined his colleagues, who watched as Weinstein’s blood began flowing into the boy’s small veins. Weinstein then completed the operation that saved Francisco’s life.

—Jim Fitzgerald, “Doc Stops Surgery to Give Own Blood to Patient,” LiveScience.com (May 26, 2006)