GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A 31-year-old man is fighting for his life in a Grand Rapids hospital after losing a lung, his legs and his hands.
On Nov. 11, Dale Kompik, Jr. went to the hospital with pneumonia. Family members say his body went septic.
“Turned into a forest fire in his system that was killing him,” his father Dale Kompik, Sr. said.
Kompik underwent emergency surgery to remove his right lung, and it didn’t stop there. While recovering in the ICU, he suffered a cardiac arrest which caused loss of blood flow in his body.
This resulted in the need for doctors to amputate both of his legs. On Monday, he had to undergo another surgery to have his hands amputated.
“He’ll lose his right hand and on his left hand he may keep his thumb,” his father said.
Kompik Sr. says his son has always been big about donating blood, knowing that hospitals are always in need of it. Michigan Blood is having a special blood drive in honor of Dale to help increase the supply, reminding the community about the importance of stepping up and donating.
“It’s amazing to see the community support,” said Amy Rotter with Michigan Blood. “You can tell that family has touched so many lives in the community, so they’ve been coming out and showing their support by donating in honor of Dale.”
If you stop by Michigan Blood on Fuller Avenue this week, there’s a card you can sign and leave for Dale and his family.
Doctors are slowly taking Dale out of his coma, which could take weeks. His family is hopeful he can come home after that. They have started a GoFundMe page to help with medical costs.
