'It's been a roller coaster': Calgary family encourages blood donation after son hit by car

It has been a long and winding road to recovery for Aizad Bilal, more than a decade after he was hit by a car while walking home from school.

Aizad, who was 10 years old at the time of the 2011 accident, suffered a brain hemorrhage, collapsed lung and fractures in nearly every bone in his face.

He has had more than 20 surgeries and his rehabilitation is ongoing to this day.

"It was the most horrible, horrific scene," said Bilal Tanweer, Aizad's father.

"Aizad was laying there and I couldn't recognize him because his head was very big. There were all these pipes and tubes, machines sticking out of him."

Aizad and his family now speak publicly on behalf of Canadian Blood Services about the accident and the importance of donating blood.

He needed more than 100 units of blood for his surgeries and procedures.

"I think at the beginning, I definitely knew it was going to be a very long process and I just kind of instilled in my mind that I had to trust the process, trust the doctors and my support staff," Aizad said.

"It's been a roller coaster with surgeries with appointments."

Aizad is now 21 years old and working hard to catch up on all the schooling he missed while in the hospital.

He has also worked hard to stay positive during his continuing recovery.

"I think you have to be grateful for everything. You have to be grateful for life. You don't know what's going to come tomorrow, the next minute, the next hour," Aizad said.