Late Sunday morning, despite a driving downpour, nearly 100 motorcycle enthusiasts gathered at Brad Martin's Allmakes Auto Service Plus to break bread, catch up, and embark on a wet ride for two worthy causes.
The first was to shed light on the often precariously low levels of donated blood in reserve.
When Brad Martin was involved in the serious motorcycle accident on Sept. 14 that has left him hospitalized and in a coma, his brother Russell said that Brad received multiple blood transfusions that helped save his life.
"We are raising money and awareness (for the Canadian Blood Services) because we found out, after Brad needed many many blood transfusions, that it's a non-profit, non-government operation that needs blood, they need it bad. We didn't know that. I always thought that it was government-funded."
"We want to bring some awareness to that, and go on a ride for my little brother," said Russell.
Donors are always needed. For more information on giving the gift of life, click here. There are two upcoming blood donor clinics in North Bay. They are set for Oct. 4, at the Clarion, and Nov. 8, at the Best Western. Be sure to go the Canadian Blood Services website, to fill out a questionnaire and make an appointment to donate.
The other item on the minds of those in attendance was the status of Brad Martin's recovery. Asked if there was any change to Brad's condition, Russell responded "He's still the same. He's still in a coma. They are doing little operations on his legs to keep him comfortable."
With his voice shaking a bit, the stress of the past few weeks visible on his face, Russell continued, saying, "The doctors didn't even expect him to be where he is right now. Every day is a miracle, right?"
Brad is breathing on his own, although the doctors put him back on the ventilator at night. He is no longer taking as many coma-related medications. So far, Brad has not emerged completely from his coma.
Russell says the doctors expect Brad to spend an extended period of time in Sudbury recovering, but with the support system in place, and the generosity of the public, the burden on his family will be eased somewhat.
"We're holding up. We've all banded together. When people need something, we try to help them out. It's like a big family," said Russell.
