Loved ones carry on Naperville woman's tradition of giving
Emily Driscoll could always be counted on to donate blood from practically the moment she became eligible.
It was a family tradition for the 22-year-old Naperville woman. Her father, mother, sister and other family members were regular donors.
LifeSource Community Donor Center in Naperville had a chance to give back to the family Sunday, holding a blood drive that honored the memory of Emily, who died Nov. 9, 2014, when she and her greyhound, Quincy, were struck by a car while taking a walk.
"Emily was one of our own," said Scott Hawkins, a LifeSource donor specialist. "It's personal. It's for the family, but it's kind of for us, too."
Sunday's event also honored the memory of Quincy, with a greyhound adoption event at the nearby Petco store sponsored by Greyhounds Only, a nonprofit greyhound rescue and adoption group. The rescue group let visitors meet and greet its adoptable hounds.
At LifeSource, the area was draped in purple, her favorite color, and the space was filled with pictures of Emily, who had planned a career in health care and was close to finishing her coursework in surgical nursing at College of DuPage.
Also, Sky High Sports, where she worked as a manager, donated an hour of free jumps to every donor at Sunday's event. Donors also received free custard, courtesy of Culver's of Aurora.
"If this was something that had been held on behalf of someone else, she would have been waiting in the parking lot an hour before," said Tim Driscoll, Emily's father.
Tim Driscoll, who also was joined Sunday by his brother, Joe, said the family tradition of giving blood began with his father, Bill. Joe Driscoll joked that his father would give two pints, if he could.
Family members remembered Emily as a hard worker who was preparing for her future not only by taking classes at COD, but also working at Edward Hospital.
"I feel like, since she was in the medical field - the area of helping people - she would have wanted something like this as a way to sort of memorialize her," Colleen Driscoll said.
Colleen remembered her sister's sense of humor, which, she allows, "was not everyone's cup of tea, but was certainly mine. Sometimes, we would try to outdo each other - who could be more outrageous or inappropriate."
Among those who gave blood Sunday was Naperville resident Lynn Venderley, who saw a notice in the press and remembered passing the intersection where Emily lost her life.
"To me, this is such a wonderful way to celebrate someone's life," she said.