NAWILIWILI — Mel Rapozo jokes that his mom, Jessie Sam Fong, has received so much blood during her 40-plus surgeries she probably doesn’t qualify to call herself 100-percent Portuguese anymore. That was in reference to all the non-Portuguese blood
NAWILIWILI — Mel Rapozo jokes that his mom, Jessie Sam Fong, has received so much blood during her 40-plus surgeries she probably doesn’t qualify to call herself 100-percent Portuguese anymore.
That was in reference to all the non-Portuguese blood she has received during those various surgeries, for kidney cancer, removal of one of her kidneys, colon work and various other procedures, said Rapozo, guest speaker as son of a blood recipient at the annual Blood Bank of Hawai‘i Kaua‘i donor recognition lunch Friday at the Kaua‘i Marriott Resort & Beach Club.
That rare bird, a politician admitting not knowing how to talk to the 100 or so folks who have reached Super Donor (48 or more pints of blood donated) or Century Donor status (100 of more pints) for his never having given blood, Rapozo ended up getting very emotional while thanking the donors and other volunteers who “have allowed us to keep her here for a little while longer.
“You folks are heroes, like true heroes. You give selflessly so others like her can live,” said Rapozo. “If not for the Blood Bank, she would not be here today.”
Rapozo said he has no idea how much blood Sam Fong has received during her lifetime, though the first time was 1959 for a bleeding problem when blood was still delivered bedside in glass bottles.
That one can’t be blamed on Rapozo, he said, as he was born in 1964.
“A lot of the stuff she get I get,” said Rapozo, again joking that he is a few inches shorter in height today after undergoing a colon-resectioning procedure like his mother did before him.
Sam Fong lost her first kidney to cancer in 1992, and local doctors told her that her only option was removal of the second kidney and the rest of her life on dialysis after cancer was discovered in the remaining kidney, Rapozo said.
“That wasn’t acceptable to the family,” he said.
They found a second opinion that sent them to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, where an aggressive chemotherapy regimen worked to shrink the tumor, which was eventually removed.
During the most recent follow-up trip to Minnesota, another lump was found, and the biopsy was negative, he said.
“What you are doing for Kaua‘i is phenomenal. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” he told the Kaua‘i donors and other volunteers.
Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. recently declared February Blood Donor Month on Kaua‘i, with Gary Heu, Carvalho’s administrative assistant, reading the proclamation at the luncheon.
Aaron Knapp, director of donor recruitment with the Blood Bank of Hawai‘i, told a story of his father from Indiana being a walk-on with the University of California at Los Angeles men’s basketball team, and having legendary John Wooden as his coach.
Wooden used to say that a successful basketball team is much, much more than the five players on the court, with supporters, bench players, trainers, assistant coaches, cheerleaders, even those who open up and maintain the practice and game facilities sharing equally in the team’s success, Knapp said.
The same is true with Blood Bank of Hawai‘i operations, particularly the regular mobile unit’s visits to Kaua‘i, he said.
Ron Wiley of KONG Radio Group served as the master of ceremonies, and Ivo Monroe Miller provided piano music and song.
The Blood Bank of Hawai‘i mobile team is on Kaua‘i this week, at Kapa‘a High School from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, and at Wilcox Memorial Hospital from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday.
Appointments may be made by calling toll-free 1-800-372-9966, online at www.bbh.org/asp/mobiles_all.asp, or via e-mail at appointments@bbh.org.
(Full disclosure: Paul Curtis is a Super Donor, having donated 94 pints.)
