Greeson: McCallie honors Will Hunt with gift of life

Jay Greeson

One of the lasting images I have from the tragedy involving the little angels lost on that bus from Woodmore Elementary School are the lines streaming from Blood Assurance in the immediate hours after the crash.

Everyone was looking for ways to help, and one of the most immediate and pragmatic ways was to give blood.

Time was of the essence; giving was a salve for the anguish and pain that we all felt. On a personal note, in my family's trying autumn, my father admirably has embraced the chance to give blood and platelets every chance he can in an effort to pass on the gift of life.

In truth, this is who we have become. As a city, we have an array of problems, and those problems waver in importance depending on your perspective.

But at the core of who we are and who we have become is the simple and undeniable truth that when tragedy calls, we pick up the phone, ask what can be done and mobilize like few other communities I've ever known.

That's a great thing, be it summertime or Christmastime.

Is there a lasting lesson that we can take from this? Is there a chance to do good even when there is not tragedy motivating us?

I ask because Friday, on The McCallie School campus, there will be another blood drive.

There will not be the immediacy or the anguish from last month.

No, this will be a blood drive in celebration of life. It will be a reason to give back because Will Hunt - a quiet character filled with quiet character who has become a picture of bravery and the importance of being an organ donor - will have the chance to celebrate Christmas in a few weeks.

It is a celebration of life with the gift of life organized by the McCallie senior leadership group Keo-Kio.

"They wanted to find a way to celebrate this and give back for Will," McCallie assistant headmaster Kenny Sholl said Wednesday. "This was completely organized by the students because of what Will means to our school."

In need of a heart transplant after a whirlwind diagnosis earlier this year, Hunt has waited and worked. He has feared the worst and fought for the best.

Late last month, as Thanksgiving prayers for so many connected to his friends and family were answered, Hunt was given the greatest gift any of us could request - life.

According to the family, Hunt has been released from the hospital, a noteworthy accomplishment considering the medical landscape he has covered. He's in an apartment near the Vanderbilt campus where he received the transplant and meeting all the milestones put in front of him, including gaining back a few pounds.

So Friday, the students and faculty and the rest of the McCallie community will give blood in a celebration of life that should make us ask why an act of such value like that only gets true attention when tragedy arrives.

So thank you, Will Hunt, and your family, friends and those you have touched at McCallie. Thanks for reminding us that giving can be a celebration, a reaction as well as an everyday occurrence.

And shouldn't we all celebrate that, especially this time of year when the reason for the season is the gift of life given to all of us?

Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com and 423-757-6343.