The most destructive force in the galaxy, The Oakland Raiders, have for once worked towards the preservation of life. While undergoing treatment for a bleeding esophagus, a 61 year old woman found herself in dire need of a football helmet…
The only way to control the bleeding is to insert a special tube through the patient’s mouth then anchor the tube to a helmet’s facemask.
Twyla Nusser, Nurse: “We wanted to insert the tube, control the bleeding and once we did insert the tube, we realized we didn’t have the appropriate helmet, so my co-worker Kathleen said let’s call the Raiders half-jokingly, and I said why not?”
The Raiders organization got the call at 4:20 on a Friday, late afternoon.
Artie Gigantino, Oakland Raiders: “Why would a hospital be calling about a football helmet, but it was a life or death situation and we were certainly most happy to accommodate them we rushed the helmet over there and found out the purpose of it once the helmet got there.”
The procedure is only done about four times a year and every time a helmet is used. Like with any wound, you put pressure on it and this balloon inside this tube applies the pressure with the appropriate traction that the facemask allows us to apply.
Apparently, calling the Raiders directly was quicker than running to the nearest sporting goods store or high school. Funny that $250 seems like a lot for a helmet, but a bargain for a medgadget.
More from KGO-TV (they have a video of the story)