Longtime Kentucky government employee and former state Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Tom Bennett is in critical but stable condition at a Louisville hospital suffering from an apparent tick-borne illness. And Bennett's family is putting out an urgent plea for plasma donations Bennett needs for treatment.
Jamey Bennett says his brother first went to a hospital last Wednesday when he began feeling bad during a visit to Colorado Springs. He was discharged from a Colorado hospital and flew home Thursday, heading directly to Baptist East Hospital from the Louisville airport. Tom Bennett has been there every since, according to his brother, at one point "flat lining" before being revived. Bennett's platelets level got down to 1800 but has risen to 70,000 today. It's supposed to be around 150,000 according to Jamey. Tom Bennett is currently sedated and on a ventilator with no kidney function.
Jamey Bennett says there's still some question about the exact nature of Tom's deteriorated health. Some doctors believe he's suffering from a rare blood disorder called TTP. A disease specialist believes it may be something similar to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and caused by a tick bite.
Jamey says his brother is undergoing apheresis, a type of plasma exchange that's designed to remove unwanted blood from his system. But he's in desperate need of rare AB positive or AB negative plasma from men only. Family and friends have put out an urgent country-wide plea for donors. Potential donors can call the Red Cross in Louisville at 502-540-7102.
Tom Bennett has worked in several state agencies and was most recently Fish and Wildlife Commissioner from 1993-2004. He and his immediate family live in Louisville though most of the rest Bennett's extra large family lives in Frankfort.
Hi Mark, I worked with Tom Bennet both at the NREPC and at Fish & Wildlife for 27 years. I retired from the NREPC 5 years ago after doing education for the Div. for Air Quality for 20+ years. You may also remember me from my brief years with Martha Layne Collins in the court and at the Lt. Governor's Mansion. I am still working part time for the Woodford County Conservation District as their education/outreach coordinator. I see and work with Ferrell Wellman here in our county. I enjoy watching you and all the guys from those early years, on KET and other shows. Keep up the good work.
I enjoyed very much working with Tom, hated to hear about his illness and pray he is doing much, much better at this time. Please let me know, also where can I send him a card? Our thoughts and prayers are with him. He is a super guy. I cannot give blood, but did tell some folks that I think might have. I hear you had a great response. Thanks for doing this. Lillie Cox, an "old" friend from Woodford County.