Blood drive honors fallen Springfield soldier

Springfield native Kevin Sheehan gave blood for his country. Now his friends and family can do the same in his honor.
http://eagletimes.villagesoup.com/p/blood-drive-honors-fallen-springfield-soldier/1203747

Blood drive honors fallen Springfield soldier By Chris Garofolo | Jun 26, 2014 S Photo by: Chris Garofolo Family members of Kevin Sheehan, who died in Iraq 10 years ago, hold a photograph of him Wednesday during a Springfield-based American Red Cross event in his honor. From left: his wife Heather, his daughter Alyson and his sisters Karleen Cass and Kathi Stern. SPRINGFIELD — Springfield native Kevin Sheehan gave blood for his country. Now his friends and family can do the same in his honor. The American Red Cross sponsored a blood drive Wednesday in the old Radio Shack space in the Springfield Shopping Plaza dedicated to Sheehan, who was killed slightly more than a decade ago in Iraq. “This was the 10-year anniversary so we were trying to think of a positive, good way to remember him by, and because he gave blood very regularly we thought this would be a good way to honor that memory,” said Kathi Stern, Sheehan’s sister. “When I give blood, I always think of Kevin when I do it and so I thought what better way to honor somebody that cannot give blood anymore than giving the gift of life to other people.” Sheehan died May 25, 2004 when his unit was attacked near Iskandariyah, Iraq while escorting an intelligence detail. At the time, he was an Army sergeant assigned to the First Battalion, 86th Field Artillery with the National Guard out of Williston. He was 36. Sheehan was a project manager at Engineers Construction in South Burlington when he volunteered to go to Iraq. Sheehan’s wife Heather, who continues to live in Milton with their two children, said this is the first year the blood drive has been dedicated to her late-husband. Sixteen-year-old Nathaniel, the couple’s oldest child, was giving blood while his family spoke to the Eagle Times. “It’s amazing, it’s great. I don’t think there’s anymore appropriate way to honor his life and his sacrifice,” Heather Sheehan said. Heather, Kathi and other members of the Sheehan family were wearing special T-shirts featuring Kevin’s name in the Red Cross colors. The couple’s daughter, 13-year-old Alyson, said she is proud of her father’s sacrifice. Mary Brant, communications manager with the Northern New England region of the American Red Cross, said it has been a moving experience to organize this blood drive with Sheehan’s family. “Over the past couple of weeks I’ve spent quite a bit of time talking with Sgt. Sheehan’s widow Heather, as well as his sister Kathi and I’ve been deeply touched,” she said. “I’m grateful on behalf of the Red Cross that they chose a venue of a blood drive, and I’ve been deeply touched by their commitment to keep [Kevin’s] memory alive.” Eighteen Red Cross staff members from the Twin States were present in the old electronics store to provide a safe, sterile environment for donors. Photos of Sheehan and his family appeared on numerous posters around the makeshift medical room. Dozens sat in lawn chairs giving blood, hoping to collect the much-needed 106 units. Each unit of blood could save up to three lives. While there is typically one blood drive a month in Springfield, there are hundreds each day in the Northeast. Brant said the Red Cross sees a decrease in donations during the summer months from Memorial Day through Labor Day and stressed that more volunteers are needed at the hundreds of drives across the region. “Those 100 days are the hardest time for the Red Cross to collect the amount of blood they need,” Brant said. “People’s routines change and even the most loyal blood donors go on vacation. Twenty percent of our donations come from colleges and high schools, so colleges and high schools let out for the summer and we see that difference.” To schedule a time to donate to the Red Cross blood services, call (800) 733-2767. Upcoming Red Cross blood drives in Springfield at the plaza will be on the following days: • Aug. 20, Oct. 15 and Dec. 10 in 2014. Three dates, Feb. 18, April 29 and June 24, have already been scheduled in 2015.