The Conshohocken Recorder, April 11, 1963

              HO.'CA SON'S BOOK BINDERY
SPRI.VGPORT. MICHIGAN
COMPLIMENTARY
Alan Wood Reports Profitable First Quarter
—See Page 2
Vol. 9300 TA 8-4600 Thursday. April 11, 1963 7c A COPY BR 9-0950
Easier Joy Lights Hemophilia Victim's Life
HAPPY ENDING—Danny Wertz, 11, of West Conshohocken,
decorates eggs for Easter at Montgomery Hospital where he survived
a brush with death almost a month ago. Nurses Alice Davis (1.) and
Shirley Sterba provide the brush and paints. Danny, a victim of hem-ophilia,
was rushed to hospital March 18 with abcessed knee and re-ceived
22 pints of blood within 36 hours when he l>egan hemorragliing
during Surgery. (Photo by Anthony*
It'll be a happy Easter for 11-year-old
Danny Wertz, of West Consho-hocken,
even though hell be spend-ing
it In a hospital bed.
1- or less than a month ago, Danny
hovered near death and a priest
was culled to administer last rites.
The boy is a hemophilia victim.
The disease is hereditary and pre-vents
blood from clotting even from
the slightest cut.
His life was saved when 22 pints
of blood were given him within 36
hours after he underwent a March
18 operation for an abcessed knee
in Montgomery Hospital.
In those crisis-wrought hours, the
youngster was aided by a gigantic
team effort which included the hos-pital
.staff, the American Red Cross,
area industries, firemen, friends, I
neichbors and his own brother.
One of Eight < l.ildrrn
The boy is one of eight children!
of Mr. and Mrs. James W. Wertz,
119 Ford St., West Conshohocken.
Of Danny's ordeal, Mrs. Wertz
said, "Everybody's been so wonder-ful.
I often wonder how we are ever
going to thank everybody."
Danny's battle against hemophilia
began when he was three years old.
Mrs. Wertz' late father was a
hemophiliac. Medical authorities
say the affliction is transmitted to
male members of the family.
"When we found out definitely
that Danny had hemophUia," Mrs.
Wertz recaUed, "we knew what we
were against and how careful we'd
have to be."
Brother Has It, Also
Danny's 12-year-old brother Frank
also suffers from hemophilia. An-other
brother, James W. Jr., 17, is
not afflicted by hemophilia.
Mrs. Werte said tliat Danny start-ed
to have trouble with Ms knee
around New Year's.
"We don't know of anything spec-ial
that happened to his knee," she
said, "but he apparently bumped
it."
Rushed to the hospital when the
knee abcessed, Danny was taken to
the operating room.
Plant Is In Program
The hospital geared for the blood
crisis, knowing also that Danny had |
rare O-negative type blood. The boy
started bleeding immediately in
surgery.
His father is a boilermaker at
Walker Bros, which belongs to the
American Red Cross blood program.
When a donor gives to the Blood-mobile
at a participating plant or as
a private citizen, his family's blood
Heads are protected for a year.
With the first pints of rare-type
blood used up quickly, Danny's
brother James donated. Mrs. Ruth
Judd, Walker Bros, nurse, called
the Red Cross office In Norrlstown
to report that the boy was hemor-raghlng
and needed more blood.
An emergency call was issued.
Mrs. Catherine Wunder, adminis-trator,
Central Montgomery County
Bank Branch, American Red Cross,
pulled all O-negative type cards
from the file for Alan Wood Steel
Co., Conshohocken, Philadelphia
Electric Co., Plymouth Meeting, and
General Electric Co., Valley Forge.
Employes Contacted
William Hallman, safety director
at Alan Wood, contacted employes
who volunteered to donate. Within
30 minutes, more blood was being
readied while workers from the
other contacted plants stood ready.
Other blood already had been do-nated
by friends, neighbors and
members of George Clay Fire Co.
Finally, at 9 A. M. of the follow-ing
day. the hemorraghing subsided.
But, the worst wasn't over. A week
later, Danny was hit by complica-tions
and his life again was endang-ered.
"Now," said Mrs. Wertz, "Danny's
only concern is to get out of bed."
Praise from Red Cross
Mrs. Wunder. of the Red Cross,
praised the attitude of everyone con-nected
with the efforts to a.ti Danny.
Although the Red Cross doesn't nor-mally
supply fresh blood, she said
the agency used every effort it
possessed to aid in the contacting
and selecting of donors.
Mrs. Wertz. mother of three sons
and five daughters, found it diffi-cult
to express her thanks to every-one
as she talked about her son.
"People," she said, "have Just been
so wonderhU."