ONEBLOOD CREW WITNESSES ACCIDENT INVOLVING CO-WORKERS SON AND JUMPS INTO ACTION
Tiffany Brown is so thankful to colleagues for rescuing her son: Watch video below
It started out as a routine day for a OneBlood crew in Tampa. Dustin McKinley, Josean Marrero, and Elayne Hill were heading to a Big Red Bus blood drive to do what they do, save lives.
But, as they carefully drove on a Florida Highway, they saw an accident that propelled the team into action.
McKinley, the donor services team leader said it was something out of an action movie.
“We noticed that the car in front of us their wheel flew completely off and the car went to the other side of the road and flipped over and hit a tree,” he said.
Hill couldn’t believe what she saw.
“It was pretty scary actually,” she said
Marrero said adrenaline kicked in.
“We rushed over and started assisting,” he said.
The team immediately knew the driver, Terrence Benjamin was in bad shape.
“I heard people screaming you need to get out of the car man! There is smoke get out of the car!” Benjamin exclaimed.
But, Benjamin couldn’t. His arm was broken and when the airbag inflated, he was trapped behind the wheel.
“It was a community group effort to get this gentleman out of the car and get EMS contacted immediately,” said McKinley.
Hill grabbed some ice from inside their car.
“I kept putting it on his face and trying to get him talk,” said Hill.
It was during those frantic efforts to help Benjamin, it became personal. The team realized the man they were trying to save was actually the son of another OneBlood team member.
“I heard someone say my momma’s name, and I said how do you know my momma? And then I passed out again,” said Benjamin.
Hill said, “I was in shock, because wow the world is really small to think the person we actually got to help was a co-workers son.”
Benjamin’s mother, is Tiffany Brown. A donor services specialist, who also works at OneBlood.
Needless to say, Brown is forever grateful to her colleagues for rushing to help her son.
“It’s like not knowing who this person was that needed the help and you stopped and helped them anyway and to find out later it was someone you worked with, your child,” said Brown, tears forming in her eyes.
Out of the hospital and on the mend, Benjamin went to OneBlood to personally thank the team and update them on his recovery. He said as he continues to heal, he is grateful to the team of lifesavers.
“I am just so grateful to them, just so grateful,” he reiterated.
His mom’s work family also realized more than ever, their compassion and training make a difference every single day.
“It is crazy things like that can happen to anybody, to friends. It is always good to help out when you can,” said Marrero.
“I am just blessed, just blessed,” said Brown.