STANTON, Del. – The third annual In Honor of Mickey Blood Drive is scheduled for Sunday, February 18.
Mickey Petela was caught in an explosion on April 29, 2021. He suffered second- and third-degree burns to 73 percent of his body. He spent about three months sedated at Crozer Burn Center. Then spent one month in a long-term care hospital, followed by a week in inpatient rehab.
All told, Mickey needed 35 units of blood, including six in one day.
The Petela family held its first blood drive in January 2022, when 46 donors participated at Delaware City Fire Company. They continued to give back in January last year with their second blood drive bringing in another 35 donors!
The Christiana Donor Center is ordinarily closed on Sundays, but it opens up occasionally for special event like this one.
Jillian Petela is working again with Blood Bank of Delmarva Account Manager Mary Moore to hold this annual blood drive.
Mickey and Mary Ann Petela, along with several other members of the family, attended both blood drives.
“Thank you, everybody, again,” Mickey said at the 2023 blood drive. “I just can’t thank everyone enough. We’ll try to do this every year.”
“We’re very grateful for the heroes, people who donate blood,” Mary Ann said. “Without the blood, he wouldn’t be here.”
To sign up for this blood drive, please call 1-888-8-BLOOD-8 or click here: Donor Portal – Blood Bank of Delmarva (bbd.org).