A Hero's Work

By Jennifer Costa, Regional Communications Director

Tim and Therese “Terry” Flaherty, of Yarmouth, Maine, were high school sweethearts, married 42 years.

“I still get choked up,” Terry said tearfully. “I’m not a hero. My husband was the hero.”

Tim was a devoted firefighter who served the Portland Fire Department for 33 years, spending much of his career with Portland’s Engine 11. He joined the department in 1972. Six years later he was promoted to lieutenant. Together the couple raised two children. Tim was a marathon runner, an avid gardener and a doting grandfather. 

“He was the love of my life,” Terry said.

Life took an unexpected turn for the Flahertys when Tim was diagnosed with Myelofibrosis in 2004. It’s a rare form of bone marrow cancer that disrupts the body’s normal production of blood cells. It causes extensive scarring in the bone marrow, leading to severe anemia – or the loss of healthy red blood cells. It also causes a patient’s blood clotting cells, known as platelets, to drop. This took a toll on Tim’s body. Still, he remained positive – and fought hard to stay well.

“He was an inspiration. People would say, ‘How you doing, Tim?’ No one really knew because he was still out mowing the lawn and doing things,” Terry said. “For a fireman who was so strong, he went through a lot with this disease.”

There is no cure for Myelofibrosis. Instead, Tim’s treatment focused on symptom relief, which meant lots of bloodwork and weekly transfusions. 

“The red blood cell transfusions allowed him to stall the illness from rapidly progressing and let him lead a partially normal life. It gave him a chance to continue going on,” explained Terry.

It gave Tim precious extra time with his family – and, for that, Terry says she is beyond grateful. As Tim’s illness progressed, so did his need for blood. During the last year of his life, Tim was transfusion dependent. Blood that was only available to him thanks to generous, volunteer donors who selflessly rolled up a sleeve so patients, like Tim, could celebrate another birthday or holiday with their families. 

“We were so blessed that there were people out there donating; that there was enough blood for him to survive – and to live as long as he could live. If that blood supply hadn’t been there, we would have lost him sooner,” Terry said. 

Tim passed away on August 30, 2011, after a seven-year battle with Myelofibrosis. He was 62 years old.

“It opened my eyes big time and I have been such an advocate for blood donation ever since. I said to my daughter, ‘I’m going to do a blood drive in Dad’s memory,’” Terry said.

Four months after losing her soulmate – and just as Christmas was approaching, Terry hosted her first annual “Yarmouth Community Blood Drive in Memory of Tim Flaherty.” She made Italian Pizzelle cookies, wrapped them up with candy canes and stacked them next to Tim’s photo for all the donors to enjoy. 

Her motto to anyone who will listen: “Give the gift of life. It costs you nothing, but you can wake up in the morning and say, ‘I gave someone extra time to live.’”

The drive was a great success – and, for Terry, it made the pain of losing her husband a bit more bearable that holiday season. She found solace in turning her grief into something that would help others to survive.

“It’s a great feeling to know that somebody in the hospital is going to receive blood that you donated,” she said. “And what a gift is that. You can’t put a price tag on that!”

Over the past 11 years, Terry has recruited scores of first-time donors and has passionately educated so many on the importance of blood donation. In fact, her annual drive is now filled weeks in advance and she has collected enough blood to save more than 500 lives.

“It just makes my heart full. Even after 11 years, I still get inspired. I want to go out and help. I want to encourage people to give blood so other people can live a little bit longer, like my husband had the chance to do.”

She may scoff at the suggestion, but we certainly believe Terry, like her husband, is a hero.

“I’ve learned so much and I feel so blessed every single Christmas that his blood drive is a huge success,” she said. 

The American Red Cross continues to face a national blood and platelet shortage. Donors of all blood types are urgently needed, especially platelet donors and type O blood donors. To ensure the blood supply recovers, the Red Cross must collect 10,000 additional blood products each week over the next month to meet hospital and patient needs.  

Don’t wait – schedule an appointment to give blood or platelets now by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).