Violent Attack Survivor—

Mark Rebb Hopes More Than 100 Blood Donors Will Attend His Drive To Save Lives

By John Voket

Late in the afternoon of September 10, 2001, former Newtown resident Mark Rebb was looking forward to a casual business meeting with an associate of the international marketing firm where he was working for at the time. Their plans were to enjoy the food and the views as they noshed at the prestigious Windows on the World Restaurant in New York’s World Trade Center the next morning.

It wasn’t until almost exactly the moment his meeting was scheduled to begin that Mr Rebb realized what a life-changing coincidence it was that a change in plans forced his meeting to be postponed. And history reflects why he was never able to reschedule that appointment as the twin towers came crashing to the ground that fateful morning.

Anyone who hears that brief but weighty tale might think Mr Rebb was blessed with good luck. Perhaps better luck than anyone might expect to enjoy in a lifetime.

But that isn’t the half of it.

The subsequent years brought many joyous celebrations for Mr Rebb, his wife, and their son and daughter. But like too many families, even those in the relatively small and tightly-knit community of Newtown, his son Jacob fell into the grip of drug addiction.

According to Mr Rebb, the time between Jacob’s graduation from Newtown High School in 2007 and the recent morning of October 25, saw the young man experience a roller coaster ride that included numerous trips in and out of various recovery programs, the discovery of missing valuables from the Rebb home — taken to fuel Jacob’s growing heroin addiction — and Mr Rebb finally calling in police to arrest his son after discovering drugs and paraphernalia in their home.

But what happened on the morning of October 25 may pale in comparison to Mr Rebb surviving the events of September 11, as he recalled waking up, as he tells it, “to the sight of my own son standing over me with a butcher knife.”

Just before 7 am that morning, police in Waterbury, where the Rebbs had recently relocated, responded to calls for help and a report of a multiple stabbing. When officers arrived they found Leah Rebb sitting on the front porch with multiple stab wounds to her hands and arms.

A Horrific Scene

Responding officers reported Ms Rebb was hysterically directing them to go into the house, where she feared her husband, her son, or possibly both, might be dead or mortally wounded. They soon found Mark Rebb inside the residence also suffering from multiple stab wounds, and lying on top of his son, preventing Jacob from doing any more harm to his father or himself.

Through the course of the investigation police learned that Jacob entered his parents room while they were sleeping and began to stab his parents repeatedly. He was taken into custody at the scene, facing first and second degree assault charges.

Ms Rebb was treated and released from Saint Mary’s Hospital, while Mark Rebb was initially admitted in critical condition. He improved with treatment and was subsequently released to face whatever future was in store for his family.

Now, just about six weeks later, Mr Rebb is volunteering with the Red Cross, an organization he went to work for following his September 11 experience. For several years he headed up a team of staff members who helped recruit organizations and companies in western Connecticut to conduct or host Red Cross blood drives.

While he eventually went on to another job, the events of last October 25 brought the needs of the many, like himself, who face the emergency need for blood back into tight focus.

“My motto is, life isn’t about what happens to us, it’s how we handle it,” Mr Rebb told The Bee during a recent interview. “Whether it’s the person reading The Bee, their neighbor, a relative, their fellow congregant, a co-worker, or the person at the market, they will all need help at some point in their lives. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.”

Mr Rebb said that if that need involves a life-sustaining blood transfusion, donating blood is the only way to help those persons in need. With that in mind, the former resident will return to his local house of worship, Congregation Adath Israel, on December 27, where there will be a special holiday blood drive from 8:30 am to 6:30 pm in honor of Mark Rebb.

‘Totally Amazed’

Lynn Phillips of the American Red Cross told The Bee that since meeting Mr Rebb, she has been “totally amazed at his positive attitude about giving back, even after life events that could have very well left him bitter and angry.” Instead, she said, his astonishing positive show of gratitude for those who provided him the blood he needed to survive has prompted him to sponsor a blood drive.

“This is his way to thank the donors and sponsors who support us,” Ms Phillips said.

Following his 9/11 experience, Mr Rebb said he felt lucky to be alive, which prompted him to serve full-time helping the Red Cross arrange and conduct blood drives. But since his more recent and tragic experience, he is more motivated than ever to see the local blood supply maintained at peak inventory.

“I hold no shame, and it’s not a secret what occurred,” Mr Rebb said, adding that his son’s heroin addiction was the main reason the family was forced to move out of Newtown.

“He had stolen from us... cost us jobs, and everybody in this community has been nothing but kind, generous, and gracious to me,” he said. “So if sharing a little more of myself than what others might be comfortable with — to in some small humble way to repay that by having a successful blood drive — than I am willing to do so.”

Mr Rebb said he understands some individuals’ unwillingness to donate, due to the physical pain they perceive they may experience, or the idea of answering uncomfortable questions while qualifying to donate blood.

But once they commit to the experience, donors have told Mr Rebb that their fears of the unknown were unfounded. By the same token, Mr Rebb expects to see many frequent donors coming to Congregation Adath Israel on December 27.

“I’ve met a variety of people who celebrate benchmark lifetime milestone donations,” he said. “But let’s not be mistaken — we hold in high regard the people who for the first time have donated as well.

“The important thing to remember is how important every single donation is,” Mr Rebb said, adding that without those milestone or first-time donors, “I would not be here today.”