Blood drive Friday at Ridgeway will honor firefighter who survived health scare
Glen Busch II needed 178 transfusions after emergency surgeries
File photo by Tom Rivers: Glen Busch II and Valerie Childs, who is now his wife, are shown in January 2016 when both were honored for their service to the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company. Busch received the President’s Award and Childs was presented with the Chief’s Award.
RIDGEWAY – There will be a second blood drive this Friday in honor of Glen Busch II, a Ridgeway firefighter who survived a serious health scare in 2018.
Busch, 36, has mostly recovered from a splenic artery aneurysm, a stroke, a pulmonary embolism and a collapsed lung.
He estimates he is about 90 percent recovered and continues to rebuild his stamina. On Thursday, he gets a physical and he expects to be cleared to return for fire calls with the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company. He won’t be back as an interior firefighter, but Busch said he expects to be given the OK for exterior firefighting.
On Friday, from noon to 7 p.m. at the Ridgeway fire hall there will be a blood drive. The first blood drive in his honor on Nov. 30 resulted in about 70 donors, many were firefighters who hadn’t given blood before or hadn’t attended a blood drive in many years.
Busch said he is more comfortable in the background, but is willing to help promote Friday’s blood drive.
He needed 178 units of blood during his surgeries. He was hospitalized for about seven weeks, beginning on Sept. 14. Then he was in rehab for three weeks before coming home the day before Thanksgiving.
Busch and his wife Valerie then faced a tragedy. Their son, Hudson, was born on Nov. 30 without a pulse.
Busch said the community was been very supportive during his serious illness and then with the loss of his son.
That’s why he wants to return to being an active firefighter, and promote the blood drive.
“I’m thankful for the community, to my fellow firefighters, my coworkers at DSS, my church family and the Crusaders (Motorcycle Club),” he said. “Everyone has stepped up and I want to do my part.”
Busch returned to work in February as a social welfare examiner for the Orleans County Department of Social Services. His wife works at Baxter Healthcare in Medina.
Blood donors can sign up online at redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins also are welcome. The firehall is located at 11392 Ridge Rd., Medina.
