The third annual “In Honor of PJ Blood Drive” at Chadds Ford Elementary School in Pennsylvania yielded an impressive 63 units for Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD) on September 12.
Now nine years old and in fourth grade at Chadds Ford, PJ, was just six years old when he was diagnosed with an extremely rare and life-threatening genetic condition called Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (aHUS). in April 2024. PJ required five blood transfusions during treatment.
PJ’s parents John and Meghan Young organized the blood drive in honor of their son and others in need of donated blood. Both come from large families who support the annual blood drive.
“The first year, we all rallied around PJ and we had forty donors, and it’s just grown since then,” John said. “As far as his health is concerned, PJ is doing great now. It’s a lifelong condition, but he’s maintained on an infusion medication that he receives every eight weeks.”
“It’s thanks to blood donors who saved his life, and we wanted to give back to the community,” he added. “And, this is our way of healing. It’s working out really well. It’s great to see everyone just donating blood.”
This drive was also covered by PHL 17. The segment is available here, Critical Mention.