Lincoln family hosts blood drive in honor of 3-year-old son

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Two Lincoln parents are on a mission to encourage more community members to donate blood after witnessing first-hand how blood donations saved their 3-year-old son’s life.

November marks three years since Chase Lavelle was discharged from the hospital. At just four months old, he got E. Coli poisoning and was diagnosed with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), which is a problem with blood vessels.

It eventually led to kidney failure and put Chase in the hospital for a month. But because of dialysis and blood transfusions, he is now a healthy 3-year-old boy.

“It was something that we really didn’t realize until we were in the hospital, one had a child needing multiple blood transfusions and how important it was to have blood available,” Chase’s mom, Madison Lavelle, said.

On Tuesday, the Lavelle family hosted their first-ever “Chase Drive to Survive” blood drive at Hudl in partnership with the Nebraska Community Blood Bank.

Madison said all of the donation slots were booked, bringing in more than 60 people to donate blood.

“We actually have had to push people to just little local spots around town because the buses have been filled up now for weeks ever since we opened up the slots,” she said.

Madison said a lot of the people who signed up were first-time donors, including some of her coworkers.

“This is the time to be thankful and my family is the most important thing to me. So if I can help out any other family I mean, I feel like that goes a long way and means a lot personally,” Easton Edmond, a blood donor, said.

Chase’s parents said he needed more than nine blood transfusions during his time in the hospital.

With the holidays being a slower time for blood banks, they urge everyone who can to donate.

“Seeing the amount of blood that our tiny, you know, 20 pound baby needed was pretty eye opening. And so today having 60 plus, hopefully there are more people out in the community giving will help a ton of individuals,” Madison said.

Chase’s parents say they plan to continue holding blood drives in his honor.

The Nebraska Community Blood Bank said this time of year is crucial for blood donations, as the holiday season brings chronic blood shortages nationwide.

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