‘Do It For Jason’ blood drive held for loved Pelham Bay 20-year-old
(l-r) Irene Guanill, Jason’s mother; Sheila Toth, Post 620 event manager
and Sade Pierre, American Red Cross are all smiles with the donations
made in honor of Jason. Photo by Fernando Justiniano
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BY ALEX MITCHELL
A wonderful cause in
Pelham Bay received overwhelming
support from the
Bronx community.
A blood drive in memory
of the late 20-year-old Jason
Michael Concepcion-Elukowich
was hosted by the American
Red Cross at American
Legion Post 620 at 1530
Hutchinson River Parkway
on Thursday, January 3.
Called ‘Do It For Jason,’
the blood collection drive
fi lled the American Legion
Post with willing donors, eager
to give back in memory
of a young man that left this
world too soon.
Jason had just fi nished his
sophomore semester at SUNY
Plattsburg when he returned
home for a May dentist appointment
to have a wisdom
tooth removed
One week after the procedure,
he fell ill and was
admitted to the Children’s
Hospital at Montefi ore, diagnosed
with a rare disease
called hemophagocytic lymphohist
iocytosis.
HLH is an acquired or inherited
blood disease caused
by the over production of certain
white blood cells, which
leads to organ damage and
the quick formation of tumors,
according to Histiocytosis
Association.
Jason’s dormant disease
was triggered by the infection
related to the dental
procedure, his mother Irene
Guanill recalled the doctors
telling her.
He passed away soon after
that on Friday, June, 22.
After donating a pint of
her own blood, Guanill refl
ected on her son’s memories
and the special bond she
and Jason shared for two decades.
“He was good to everyone,
if you were cool or if you were
a bit nerdy, it didn’t matter,”
she said recalling his high
school years at Archbishop
Stepinac High School.
While Jason enjoyed
sports like pole vaulting in
high school, he also enjoyed
the role as Stepinac’s mascot
for some time as well, showcasing
his fun-fi lled and energetic
personality that would
literally light up a room.
He loved and was loved by
many, but nobody could come
close to sharing the bond between
Jason and his mother
Irene, she said.
The bond was so special
that even in high school, Jason
would allow his mother
to walk him to the bus stop
every morning, never giving
a second thought to how his
actions would be perceived
by his peers.
“We all knew he was too
old to have his mom walk
him to the bus, but he didn’t
care, he loved me and he let
me be a mom,” Guanill said,
mentioning how there were
times when she offered to
make him breakfast on some
mornings and he would literally
sit her down, and say
“No mom, I’m going to make
you breakfast.”
As a proud member of
Boy Scout Troop 182, Jason
achieved the prestigious rank
of Eagle Scout before heading
to Plattsburgh to pursue
a major in Psychology.
In college he took up rugby
and quickly fell in love with
the sport. During the blood
drive, a group of six-foot tall
college rugby players arrived
to make their blood donations,
telling Guanill what a
difference her son had made
in their lives.
The next blood drive for
Jason will be held in April
at Stepinac. Following that
one another blood drive is
being planned for July; one
donation of blood gets distributed
to three patients in
need.
Currently, Irene is working
on creating a mural of Jason
for her home called ‘Pennies
From Heaven,’ made
entirely from of loose change.
When attending one of the
upcoming blood drives, bring
pennies for Irene, so she can
complete her memorial to Jason’s
memory.