Injured Midland Soldier and His Families to Host Special Reception

John Faulkenberry has a lot to be thankful for this Holiday Season. John, a 2001 Midland High graduate, joined the Army right after graduation. He was deployed to Iraq for two tours of duty and this third time, he has deployed to Afghanistan. On July 27, John was seriously injured by gunshot wounds to his right leg during an ambush along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. He was airlifted to Landsthul, Germany, where he underwent numerous surgeries to repair the damage to his leg.

John's wife, Sarah, said, due to his wounds, John bled out and had to be resuscitated by receiving large amount of blood products. During the past 4 months, due to the extensive amount of trauma to John's leg, he continues to receive blood products. She said, he used large quantities of blood then and even with his most recent surgery, just a few weeks ago, he needed five more pints of blood.

John will be visiting Midland for a short time in December. After the holidays, John and Sarah will return to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., to continue on with John's additional surgeries and rehabilitation which will last several years.

John, and his parents, Richard and Teresa Faulkenberry, John's wife Sarah and her parents, Craig and Tanya Tinslar want to say "thank you" to all of the wonderful people who have come forward during this difficult time by hosting a special reception/blood drive at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 2800 W. Louisiana in Midland on Sunday, December 9 from 12 noon to 6 pm.

Sarah said, "We just want to say 'thank you' to everyone who has sent cards, donations, prayers--there are just so many people to thank and some of them, we don't even know their names. They've all been so wonderful and supportive". John wants to inspire people to donate blood so that the patients in the Permian Basin will have the same chance of recovery as he did. Blood donations helped save his life and he wants to help save others.

The entire community is invited to come and visit with the Faulkenberry and the Tinslar families, enjoy some refreshments and to donate blood on Sunday, December 9 at Trinity Presbyterian Church. "This is our way of giving back to the community that has been so good to us," said Sarah.