Alex and Jake Floros have been raising awareness about the importance of blood and plasma donations for many years. Photo: Supplied.
In 2010, aspiring cricketer Jake Floros trained on Saturday and went to bed that night. He was, to all his friends and family, a healthy teenager. When he woke on Sunday morning, he couldn’t move his legs.
The Floros household quickly responded and he was taken to hospital. Within an hour, he was in surgery.
A severe bacterial infection was eating away at his hip, and after emergency surgery, he suffered from toxic shock. At one stage, it looked as though he might not make it.
But through multiple blood and plasma transfusions, Jake came through.
He was told, though, that he would never play cricket again. Any knock or twist had the potential to impact his hip. Even without any knocks or twists, he faces another three hip replacements in his lifetime.
Jake in 2022 when he won the Cricket ACT second grade player of the year award in 2022. Photo: Tuggeranong Valley Cricket Club Facebook.
The trauma and his subsequent survival thanks to blood and plasma transfusions set Jake and his younger brother Alex on a mission to raise awareness of the importance of donating blood and plasma.
The awareness campaign continues this weekend with all ACT cricket grades getting behind the cause in the Donate for Jake Round.
The Floros family’s commitment extends beyond the Donate for Jake campaign. Photo: Supplied.
Four hundred red cones will ring the boundary at Chisholm Oval and the stumps will be red.
Although the campaign to raise awareness isn’t confined to cricket, it is a natural fit given the prominence of the Floros family within the sport in the ACT.
For the past 10 years, Alex and Jake have approached numerous Canberra businesses to help gain interest in providing blood and plasma. They have even transported people so they can donate blood and plasma.
Cricket ACT gets behind the drive. Photo: Supplied.
Jake plays second grade now, and with coaching as his priority, he’s taken the reins of the ACT Under 17 men’s team and the Australian Under 15 boys Indoor team. He aspired once to higher-level cricket but has adjusted quickly, seeing that he can contribute meaningfully to the game in many different ways.
His legacy, though, goes beyond cricket. Jake and his brother are creating awareness for a cause that has the potential to save many lives.
To find out more about Donate for Jake Round, visit Cricket ACT.
