Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive lineman Obby Khan was on standby to receive blood during several recent surgeries. He is now a champion of a new kind – raising awareness of Canada’s need for blood donations.
ATHLETES SEE RED
He’s not quite back to his peak blocking weight of 300 pounds, but Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive lineman Ibrahim (“Obby”) Khan is almost there – primed to make a comeback to the team later this season.
Mr. Khan was voted the Blue Bombers’ top offensive lineman in 2006. Then, in the 2007 season, his career was seriously threatened by several surgeries for knee injuries and a torn tricep muscle, and then – most devastatingly – by an outbreak of ulcerative colitis.
He had managed to play through several seasons with the disease, but last fall, it spiralled out of control when he got a viral infection. At one point, he says, he was taking some 50 medications a day to manage the symptoms and excruciating pain.
In 2008, Mr. Khan underwent two surgeries to remove his large intestine and to reconnect his small intestine to his stomach. Over the months of illness, then surgeries and recovery, the player lost a lot of weight; at one point, he went down to 205 pounds. Eager to return to the game, Mr. Khan plunged into rebuilding his body and now weighs 280 pounds.
“I hope to be back in training by July and to make my return to playing in August,” says the 27-year-old.
Feeling better than he has in years, Mr. Khan is delighted that the only pills he’s taking these days are multivitamins.
He looks forward to getting back into the crush on the football field, after waging such a rough fight off the field.
“In football, you do your battle and then within a couple of seconds, it’s over,” he says. “With colitis, you are in a fight with the pain and the complications 24/7.”
Now, Mr. Khan is honorary chair of the Winnipeg chapter of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada. He also wants to join other Canadian Football League (CFL) players in highlighting the importance of donating blood.
Mr. Khan was on standby to receive blood transfusions during his surgeries but it was not required in his case. “It’s all about creating awareness. I am lucky enough to have a profile that allows me to inspire other people to overcome colitis and to also help the CFL with the cause of blood donation.”
Many teams in the CFL have supported Canadian Blood Services over the years.
Both the Toronto Argonauts and the B.C. Lions are members of the Partners for Life program, through which organizations pledge to donate a target number of blood units over the year. In 2007, the Argonauts were honoured as the Top Partner for Central Ontario for organizing a blood drive among players, coaches, staff, cheerleaders and fans, which yielded donations of 555 units of blood.
Supporting the blood system is a natural fit for the CFL, says Jaime Stein, formerly the radio play-by-play voice of the Argos and the new manager of digital media for the CFL. “The CFL prides itself on being part of the community and on being an accessible league,” says Stein.
“Donating blood allows you to make a direct impact on someone’s life and that’s really what the CFL is about, a direct connection with fans and the community.”
The CFL and other sports teams are very valuable supporters, says Mark Donnison, executive director, Donor and Clinic Services for Canadian Blood Services. More than 100 athletic teams and ther sports groups have signed up as Partners for Life for 2008.
The teams don’t have the employee numbers of a large company, but their public profile makes them ideal ambassadors.
“We have players come into clinics and make donations, which garners media attention,” Mr. Donnison says. “When we have well-known and charismatic people drawing attention to the need for blood, it really has an impact.”
There are multiple ways that organizations and individuals can make a vital contribution to the national blood system, Mr. Donnison adds. Companies can provide money to help build new clinics and acquire new technology, which allows for quicker collection of platelets from donors.
Employees and others can also volunteer their time. “We have 10 different volunteer roles and 17,000 volunteers across the country. A lot of the time that volunteers invest is geared towards making the donation experience as positive as possible.”
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