The Northern Westchester Examiner

Gift of Life Inspires Kennedy Catholic High School Blood Drive

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Anthony Torchia

They say there is no greater gift than that of life.  Parents know this better than anyone, the fragility and resurgence of the human existence.  That is why Anthony and Anna Torchia are so proud of their son, who has turned a life-or-death situation from a year ago into a life-giving event this Christmas.

Kennedy Catholic will be hosting a blood drive for the New York Blood Center on Friday, Dec. 20, from 2:30 – 8:30  The Torchias’ goal is to meet the annual need for blood around the holidays.  But this story began with a blood-letting.

The morning of June 26, 2011 was not unlike any other.  Mom and dad were out behind their Ossining home, preparing to host another family barbecue.  And everyone is family to the Torchias.  Anthony Torchia, who was a junior at Kennedy Catholic High School, had just replaced the grips on his all-terrain vehicle and taken it for a test ride.  That’s when the morning was broken by a crash and a scream.  That’s when his sister and certified lifeguard, Daniella Torchia, a Kennedy alum, sprung into action.

Grabbing towels from the house, she supported an unconscious Anthony’s neck and head.  Four skull fractures, four broken ribs, a fractured pelvis, shattered spleen, 14 days of intensive care and, most importantly, four pints of blood later, Anthony was allowed to return home.

A new barbecue was planned, a homecoming for the 16-year-old football player.  This one even had team buses, except instead of his teammates, they carried blood—52 pints in all, collected for the New York Blood Center.

Fortunate to have received transfusions as blood is in short supply during the summer, Anthony was happy to pay the gift of life forward.  Last year, he and his sister held a blood drive at the high school. This Christmas, Anthony is doing it.

“Somewhere out there is a boy like me,” Anthony said, “someone who, because of an accident or unfortunate circumstance, needs blood transfusions to live.”

While Anthony knows he cannot stop such accidents from happening, his experiences this past summer have made him confident he can still make a difference, and that means making sure there is an ample supply of blood for the next person in need.

“In reciting the Serenity Prayer, we asked God to help us ‘accept the things we cannot change’ and the ‘courage to change the things we can’,” said the Rev. Mark G. Vaillancourt, president and principal of Kennedy Catholic.  “Anthony has certainly demonstrated our school virtues of courage and compassion in the wake of his accident.”

And therein lies the “wisdom to know the difference”, which the Torchias will be making Dec. 20.  The public is encouraged to participate in the blood drive at Kennedy Catholic High School, which is located at 54 Route 138 in Somers.

To sign up, go to www.kennedycatholic.org/category/daily-update and click on the Blood Drive story.  For more information on the New York Blood Center, please visit www.nybloodcenter.org.

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