Classmates Aid Burned Youths

A week after two students were badly burned in a botched physics experiment, William S. Hart High School hosted the first of a series of blood drives for them Thursday and collected 200 pints from students, parents and others.

Christopher James, 17, who sustained second- and third-degree burns over 35% of his body, may benefit most from the drive because he will undergo multiple surgeries in the coming months and his blood type is the rare O-negative.

Even as his supporters were donating blood, he was undergoing his third operation since the accident the day before Thanksgiving.

Meanwhile, school administrators said they have completed their investigation and are awaiting reports from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s and Fire departments, which are investigating the accident.

Christopher and Nolan LeMar, 17, were seriously burned in an experiment on the trajectory of flying objects that used two “cannons” made out of apple juice cans firing tennis balls. One of the cannons, which used wood alcohol as a propellant, exploded in their faces.

The teacher who supervised the experiment, Thomas Magee, has been unavailable for comment since the accident.

Last week, two groups of Santa Clarita teachers and parents delivered turkey dinners to the boys’ families as they held a vigil at Sherman Oaks Hospital. Scores of schoolmates and other acquaintances, including Magee, have stopped by to offer support.

On Thursday, students 17 years and older who weighed more than 109 pounds and had parental consent filed into the school auditorium, where they sat on bleachers and waited to give blood.

Even Carrie Coram, who stands 5 feet, 1 inch and weighs 113 pounds, gave, but only a half pint.

“My vein is so small it started to collapse,” she said, and that half pint didn’t come without a fight. “They beat my arm to death trying to get at the vein.”

“There wasn’t really any doubt in my mind that I would do it,” said Carrie. “It’s scary and it hurts, but I figured if it was me, I’d want them to give me blood.”

Carrie said she knew Nolan, who suffered serious burns on 12% of his body, and that she visited the boys Wednesday. Christopher, recovering from skin graft surgery Monday, has been isolated from all visitors except family members to guard against infection.

Larry Weinberg, spokesman for Sherman Oaks Hospital, said Christopher has entered a critical stage in which he is susceptible to fatal infection.

“Despite the long way he’s come, Chris is still in a life-threatening state,” Weinberg said. “His respiratory system is weakened and . . . the threat of infection gets bigger every day.”

Thursday’s operation--in which dead flesh was scraped from Christopher’s vocal cords that were burned by inhaling the cloud of flaming alcohol--may put his ability to speak at risk.

“It’s not possible to know the long-term effects on his vocal cords,” Weinberg said.