The biggest regret Dan Licardo has about last year’s Dan Licardo Honoring Our Heroes Blood Drive in Flower Mound is that he couldn’t be there due to reconstructive surgery on his legs. That’s not to suggest he’s looking for personal publicity — Licardo shies away from attention these days. But if an event bears your name, it’s only natural to want to be there to lend your support and give back.
The good news is that Licardo promises to be there for this year’s event on Saturday, Sept. 9 at the Cross Timbers Family YMCA. And even more big news — his doctors have officially given him the green light to give blood for the first time since the event began six years ago.
“I couldn’t in the past because of the number of surgeries I’d had,” Licardo said. “This is an exciting step; I want to do what’s needed.”
Licardo certainly understands the value of blood drives. The former Navy SEAL and longtime Flower Mound resident had to have both his legs amputated and required a staggering 94 units of blood to save his life following a horrific car crash on September 4, 2018, at the intersection of FM 2499 and Sagebrush Drive. Licardo suffered a grand mal seizure (caused by the effects of Traumatic Brain Injury due to years of explosives training and multiple combat tours in the Middle East) while driving and swerved across five lanes of traffic before slamming into a tree. Though his girlfriend’s two children were not seriously injured in the accident, it took first responders an hour to extricate Licardo from the vehicle. He bled out seven times and was resuscitated twice.
The accident gained local and national attention, though Licardo says he doesn’t remember anything from it beyond what people have told him. What he does remember are the efforts that friends, family, first responders, medical personnel at Parkland Hospital, and the Flower Mound community went through to rally around him and his family.
“There’s not enough I can say about the first responders, the CareFlite team, and the doctors who worked so hard to save me after the crash,” Licardo said. Hearing his doctors and rescue team recount details of his recovery and treatment in the OR, Licardo became keenly aware of the importance of blood donations and what a precious and perishable commodity it is. ”If it weren’t for the equipment, the staff, and the training provided by the citizens of Flower Mound, my story could have had a much different ending.”
Hence, the upcoming blood drive. Entering its sixth year and orchestrated by The Summit Club of Flower Mound, the Dan Licardo Honoring Our Heroes Blood Drive has collected 590 units of blood over the past five years.
That includes 121 units at the first event on September 11, 2018 — seven days after Licardo’s accident.
“Dan isn’t a club member, but he’s been very close with us through various activities since he moved to Flower Mound. We all know and love him,” longtime Summit Club member Don McDaniel said. “It was only a few days after his accident, and we’d heard about how many units it took to save his life. It was the most the doctors had seen, and I remember we looked at each other and said, ‘We need to do a blood drive.’ I called a friend who had connections with the American Red Cross, and as luck would have it, they had an existing blood drive scheduled four days later but had just been canceled. They had employees and donors lined up and simply asked if we wanted to pick it up and host it in Flower Mound — all we needed to do was find a location.”
He added, “We put a blood drive together in four days at the YMCA. And it was a huge success.”
McDaniel said this year’s event partners with Carter BloodCare, the primary blood supplier for more than 200 medical facilities. That includes Parkland, where Licardo received his life-saving treatment.
The need for more blood locally and nationally cannot be overstated. According to Carter BloodCare, about 600 to 800 patients every day require blood transfusions, and many of them will require more than one unit or type of blood product. On top of that, most people don’t realize blood is a perishable item with a shelf life of about 42 days. To ensure hospitals have what they need, the blood supply must be replenished regularly. But only about 3% of people who can give blood actually do, Licardo said.
“I didn’t know then that hospitals regularly have blood shortages. So, those doctors went above and beyond to keep me alive. They are the reason I’m still here,” Licardo said. “I think the most we’ve pulled in at any one of our blood drives is 174 units. We’re trying to beat that this year, for sure. My goal is to raise awareness as much as I possibly can.”
McDaniel agreed, adding that Flower Mound is the best place to host a successful blood drive.
“Flower Mound is the kind of town that comes out and supports each other and these types of endeavors,” McDaniel said. “There’s literally nowhere else that gives like Flower Mound — it doesn’t matter if it’s for a fallen firefighter or a family that’s been through a tragedy. This town is constantly ready to give back. Dan’s story starts with a tragedy, but it amazes me to think of everything that had to perfectly align for him to be here today. Those two kids walked away without a scratch; Dan got the attention he needed quickly and somehow survived the initial trauma and even the fact that he crossed five lanes of traffic on one of the busiest thoroughfares in Flower Mound and didn’t hit anyone else. I think all of that, and this blood drive, speaks to the specialness of all of this.”
The Dan Licardo Honoring Our Heroes Blood Drive will take place at the Cross Timbers Family YMCA at 2021 Cross Timbers Road in Flower Mound on Saturday, Sept. 9, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Donors should schedule a time to give blood today. To register, visit them at summitclub.org.
