The THOR Network Foundation

As an alloimmunized mother, I know firsthand how overwhelming and terrifying this condition can be. During my first alloimmunized pregnancy I realized that I had to navigate a very complex medical landscape by myself and I felt very let down by my medical community. That’s why the work of the THOR Network means so much to me and many other women facing similar challenges. I’ve been so impressed by their commitment to improving healthcare practices for alloimmunized mothers and their children. They not only provide cutting-edge research and best practices but also demonstrate genuine compassion for the unique struggles we face. They go out of their way to ensure that providers understand the importance of early screening and advanced care for HDFN, making a real difference in the lives of families like mine. Through the THOR Network’s dedication, I feel hopeful that more women will receive the care they deserve, and that fewer babies will face the risks of HDFN. I am deeply grateful for their tireless work and their unwavering support in advocating for us.

Thanks for the THOR Network’s leadership in re-introducing whole blood resuscitation for trauma patients in shock and for forming the THOR Network, so that innovators in this field can collaborate more effectively. The THOR Network has been instrumental in saving many hundreds of lives. Our country is truly blessed to have the THOR Network guiding the care that we provide to our combat wounded and civilians with severe trauma. It has been a tremendous pleasure to work with the THOR Network.

THOR has provided me with a very unique opportunity to expand my practice of transfusion medicine beyond the laboratory. Prior to my first THOR meeting a decade ago, I had not really thought about what happens to the blood that we issue for patients with life threatening bleeding; clinicians order it, we send it, they transfuse it…but this is far from all that transfusion medicine specialists can provide during (and between) these resuscitations. Through THOR, I have become a more well rounded practitioner. Personally interacting with many different users of blood products has let me collaborate on projects that improve patient safety and outcomes – there is a large unmet need for blood transfusions for patients with life threatening hemorrhage of which I was unaware until THOR gave me the opportunity to meet the frontline users of blood products, hear their stories, and work together to bring blood to those who need it the most. Collaborating with some of the most important thought leaders in damage control resuscitation has helped me implement new transfusion strategies and expanded the realms in which I work beyond what I could have done on my own.

The THOR Network translates key lessons learned from combat casualties to the seriously injured civilian. A prime example is the return to in-hospital resuscitation with whole blood, and additionally extended to prehospital care. The broader use of prehospital tourniquets and TXA, and introduction of REBOA are other compelling examples. The core Network represents diverse viewpoints of military and civilian providers, including prehospital, emergency department, surgery, and critical care. This environment is enriched with basic investigators expert in resuscitation physiology and coagulation biology. The audience also includes virtually all relevant funding agencies, including NIH, DOD, BARDA, and industry.

THOR represents a unique connection between “consumers” (pre-hospital and in-hospital caregivers), experts, and professionals from various fields—trauma and resuscitation specialists, surgeons, emergency medicine and intensive care physicians, blood bankers, hematologists, and researchers (both basic and clinical)—who collaborate to improve the response to injured patients and save lives. This is a truly unique network, and the mutual enrichment, leadership, and professionalism of the partners, along with their dedication and direct engagement, greatly enhance effectiveness. For us, the pre-hospital caregivers, this is an essential platform for learning, renewal, exploring new ideas, and creating collaborations. The changes led by the organization have translated and continue to translate into real improvements that have helped us and many others around the world to save lives—and for that, we are deeply grateful!

THOR has been a key driving force in improving the methods and capabilities used to resuscitate bleeding military and civilian casualties. Much more than just another conference, from promulgating the results of persuasive bench research, to facilitating interactions between blood suppliers and clinicians that have led to capability development and regulatory reform, to developing training materials for Emergency Blood Collection used by numerous partner nations, THOR has been a major force in reducing mortality from life-threatening haemorrhage.

THOR has been integral as a platform for communication between military and civilian trauma and to help the trauma research community understand the rapidly evolving priorities in military medicine. Also, THOR has admirably spread the science of resuscitation after injury and led an international dialogue about best practices in trauma resuscitation. This has shaped research priorities for my program and many others.  We greatly appreciate the resources and opportunities created by the THOR Network.

Since its foundation more than a decade ago, THOR has continued to drive and advocate for innovation in trauma care and transfusion medicine. Their collaborative and persistent spirit fuels synergy between medical experts, government institutions, and the biotech/med tech industry, which is unique. A determined focus on the ready availability of safe and effective treatments for life-threatening bleeding in both civilian and military settings is having a lasting impact

The disruptive and revolutionary effects of this passionate and purposeful Network have truly driven international change in both military and civilian prehospital resuscitative care.