MIAMI (WSVN) - On Friday, two blood drives were held in honor of a beloved Miami principal who remains in serious but stable condition after he was run over by an SUV, last month.
Loved ones joined members of the community at Ronald Reagan Senior High School and South Dade Senior High School to donate blood for the trauma team at Kendall Regional Medical Center, the hospital that saved Javier Perez’s life.
Perez, the principal of South Dade Senior High, remains at Kendall Regional Medical Center after being pinned by an SUV, on April 26. The vehicle smashed through a fence at a baseball field in Tamiami Park as he watched his son play T-ball.
Both his legs were amputated and large quantities of blood were transfused in order to save his life.
This week, Perez’s wife sent a plea online asking for the public’s support in the blood drives, and what she received was an outpouring of support. Nearly hundreds of people lined up for both the morning and afternoon blood drives, causing the OneBlood “Big Red Bus” blood drive service to send in more trucks at both locations.
At South Dade Senior High, teachers, students and staff all wore “Pray for Perez” and “#JaviStrong” shirts in solidarity with their principal. At Ronald Reagan Friday morning, students did the same.
“It’s absolutely tragic,” said Ronald Reagan student, Rahul Nair. “No one deserves to be put in that situation, especially educators who have done nothing but put good into the school, nothing but give back to the community. It’s absolutely heartbreaking, to say the least.”
Perez has a personal connection to Ronald Reagan Senior High, as well. He used to their baseball coach, and his wife is their school counselor. “I feel bad that her husband was put in that situation, and I feel bad that she was put in that situation.” said Logan Schroder-Stephens, another student. “It’s definitely something that nobody wants to happen to anyone they love.”
The community has stood by the high school leader in the form of prayer vigils and support on social media, including the hashtag “Pray4Perez.”
“He’s a great man,” said his school colleague, Jonas Campos. “I can’t believe that someone as dedicated as Javier is going through the things he is going through now. Prayers are with him.”
Perez’s family has set up a GoFundMe page in order to raise money for his treatment:www.gofundme.com/javiperez. As of Thursday evening, it has raised almost $120,000.
They have also asked the community for continued prayers.
If you would like to donate blood, visit one of these scheduled locations:
South Dade Senior High
Friday, May 6 from 12 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Kendall Regional Medical Center
Saturday, May 7, from 12 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.