Independence Elementary hosted a blood drive last Friday to help support Liv O’Connell and her family (from left: Elle, Miles, Tim, Liv and Meg) by raising awareness and collecting blood donations. Liv has a rare blood disorder called Diamond-Blackfan Anemia which requires her to receive regular blood transfusions. Students and staff at the school volunteered throughout the day by manning the snack station and signing donors in. This is the sixth blood drive they have held in Liv’s name. Photo by Megan Kelley

By Megan Kelley
Editor
INDEPENDENCE TWP. — With Valentine’s Day around the corner, students and staff at Independence Elementary got in the loving spirit by coming together to hold a blood drive for one of the third grade students at the school.
Eight-year-old Liv O’Connell and her family were able to experience first hand the love and generosity of the Clarkston community last Friday at the drive which collected donations in Liv’s name and aimed to educate the younger generation on the importance of volunteerism.
Liv suffers from a rare blood disorder called Diamond-Blackfan Anemia which impacts the way her body makes red blood cells causing her to need blood transfusions as often as every three weeks, the first taking place directly after she was born, her mother Meg O’Connell explained.
“My husband and I donating alone could never give enough blood to replace the amount of blood that she takes,” O’Connell said. “This is her whole life. It’s never gonna change. She’s always gonna need blood.”
Independence Elementary, much like other schools in Clarkston Community Schools, places a lot of emphasis on its community service learning and giving their students opportunities to volunteer and give back.
That day, not only were staff helping out, but so were students. Students signed up to volunteer throughout the day, working as greeters, watching the children of people who came to donate, providing snacks and water at the food table and making thank you cards for those who came to donate.
“It gives them a chance to volunteer, to feel a part of it and hopefully someday they become donors,” O’Connell said. “It’s cute, because they’ll all go home and tell their parents, ‘You need to donate blood!’”
Overall, the drive had about 80 people sign up to donate, roughly 34 of which were first time donors.
“We’re lucky. We are super lucky to live here and have a principal that lets us do this because it takes staff, it takes even the custodian coming in at 6 a.m. to help us with this,” O’Connell said.
O’Connell also stressed the importance of donating blood and how it helps not just her daughter, but so many others who are in need.
“Sign up to donate blood. They have them (blood drives) all the time and they always need blood, there’s always a need,” said O’Connell.
To sign up for a blood drive or find one near you, visit redcrossblood.org.