Leesburg Police Hold Blood Drive In Honor Of Boy Battling Cancer

LEESBURG, VA — The Leesburg Police Department partnered with a boy who is battling leukemia and his family Tuesday on a blood drive at police headquarters. A police sergeant, who is a neighbor of seven-year-old Drew Snapkoski, alerted his colleagues in the police department to the boy's battle.

The Leesburg police department hosts three to four blood drives per year in partnership with Inova Blood Donor Services. The department advertises the events on its various social media platforms to encourage the public to donate blood. The blood drive on Tuesday was held in honor of Snapkoski.

"One of our patrol supervisors, Sgt. Abilmona, is a neighbor of Drew and his family," Officer Michael Drogin, a spokesman for the police department, said in an email to Patch. "Sgt. Abilmona brought Drew's story to our attention, and we felt that partnering with Drew and his family would be a good way to get Drew's story out there. This seemed especially important to us as Drew is a Loudoun resident and regularly receives donated blood."

As part of the blood drive, Snapkoski, who wants to become a Major League Baseball player, got to hang out at the police department, according to LocalDMV.com. He also offered a suggestion to his friend, Sgt. Abilmona, about how to deal with the pain when the nurse sticks in the needle to begin taking blood — squeeze someone else's finger until it hurts.

"People who give blood are amazing," Snapkoski, who recently needed a blood transfusion, told LocalDMV.com.

The Leesburg police have hosted blood drive events for the past three years. Lt. Jaime Sanford is the police department's point of contact with Inova Blood Donor Services for the blood drives.

"I just like to be able to give back in case kids need it," Sanford, who has children who were micro preemies, told LocalDMV. "My kids never needed a transfusion, but you never know when your kid might."