Claremore veteran saving lives while fighting cancer

Claremore veteran saving lives while fighting cancer

BURNS HARGIS, WHO ANNOUNCED HISRETIREMENT IN OCTOBER.SHRUM TAKE OVER AS O-S-UPRESIDENT JULY FIRST.THE LONG-TIME ORGANIZER OFBLOOD DRIVES AT CLAREMORE HIGHSCHOOL HAS A POWERFUL NEW REASONTO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE GIVINGTHE GIFT OF LIFE.IT'S BECOME A MATTER OF LIFEAND DEATH FOR HIM TOO.VINCENT HILL SHOWS US WHY -FOR THIS VETERAN - THE BLOODDRIVE HAS A NEW MEANING.COMMANDER MURRY ESTABROOK KNOWSFIRSTHAND THE IMPORTANCE OFBLOOD DONATIONS AND NOT EVEN ADEADLY DIAGNOSIS WILL STOP HIMFROM SPREADING THE WORD."I enlisted in the military tojoin the draft."YEARS OF SAVING LIVES ON THEBATTLEFIELD"I was a parachute rigger,enlisted survival equipment manin the Navy and then I became anofficer and I was an electronicwarfare officer and worked inthe intelligence field."MURRY ESTABROOK RETIRED AFTER 20PLUS YEARS AND STARTED TEACHINGJUNIOR ROTC AT CLAREMORE HIGHSCHOOL.

BUT HE STILL WANTED TOSAVE LIVES.HE STARTED THE FIRST BLOOD DRIVEAT THE SCHOOL IN 2004, TO HELPKIDS WITH HEALTH CONDITIONS."We target donating to kids withLeukemia to give those kids achance to reach adulthood andhave a full life that I've beenblessed with."KIDS LIKE HIS THREE-YEAR-OLDGRANDDAUGHTER CALI."When she was born on the secondday, her blood system totallycrashed and she had to haveemergency surgery."AND LITTLE CALI NEEDED TWO UNITSOF BLOOD."I've been blessed with thissweet little girl here becauseof blood donors."THIS YEAR'S BLOOD DRIVE IS A LOTDIFFERENT FOR COMMANDERESTABROOK AFTER A LATE-NIGHTVISIT TO THE HOSPITAL."One night in a lot of pain wentto the ER and after a long longnight at 3:30 in the morningthey called me and told me youneed to bring your wife in so wecan talk to you."IT WAS NOT THE NEWS HE NOR HISWIFE WERE PREPARED FOR."They told me i had stage fourpancreatic cancer and it wasalso in my lymph nodes."COMMANDER ESTABROOK SAYS FORHIM THE REAL PAIN IS NOT THEPHYSICAL."She has a harder time then Ido.

I have control of what I'mgoing to do.

She just has tosit and worry what's going on."NOW THIS BATTLE TESTED VETERANIS GETTING SUPPORT FROM A LITTLEGIRL HE ONCE HELPed SAVE."She called me up to tell menumber one, not to be scared andnumber two, to be strong.

Andshe talked to me about how tohandle a chemo port and what Ican expect in Chemo.

And Ithought, by God, I got afive-year-old educating a 70year old."THE NEXT BLOOD DRIVE ATCLAREMORE HIGH SCHOOL IS NEXTMONDAY FROM 1:30 UNTIL 6.ESTABROOK HAS THIS PLEA."Anybody that's fighting anillness or needs blood is gonnaneed blood.

And please come out