CRANSTON, R.I. (WPRI) — A special blood drive was held Monday afternoon to honor a Cranston High School East teacher battling leukemia.
Col. Jason Lafferty, an Army veteran with 23 years of service and a father of four, is used to giving back to his country, family, and community. But that all changed in August when a cancer diagnosis turned his world upside down.
“I would rather have gone back overseas than deal with the enemy I’m dealing with now, which is leukemia,” Lafferty said. “It doesn’t quit, it doesn’t take a day off, and it’s scary.”
Since being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, Lafferty has undergone three rounds of chemotherapy and had around 30 blood transfusions. He is currently on his fourth round of chemotherapy, awaiting a bone marrow transplant from his oldest son.
“It’s an allogeneic stem cell transplant from my son, who is a genetic match,” he explained. “Definitely the best gift I could get from my son.”
Throughout his journey, the community has rallied around Lafferty, going so far as to host a blood drive at the school in partnership with the Rhode Island Blood Center. The event aimed to share Lafferty’s story and raise awareness about the life-saving impact of blood donations.