GENESEO, Ill. — When you celebrate a birthday, there is usually cause for celebration.
"The community has really wrapped their arms around Trevor from the very beginning," said Trevor's mother, Lori Schefsky.
For the last four years, the Schefsky family has celebrated Trevor's life. Trevor died in 2017 after battling an autoimmune disease.
That celebration includes an annual blood drive, celebrated around May 16, which was Trevor's birthday.
The blood drive in Geneseo, hosted by the family and Impact Life, helped collect blood donations, giving back when Trevor received 588 blood products during his treatment.
"For people to remember him, I mean that’s all you can ask for as a parent," said Schefsky.
Among those showing up to the blood drive were some of Trevor's closest friends.
"He’s my best friend and I’d always do anything for him, and I know that if it was the opposite way around, he would do the same thing for me," said Alex Walker.
Walker went to school with Trevor, and faced his fear of needles to celebrate his friend's life. Walker has donated at each of the last four blood drives hosted by the Schefsky family.
"I’d go to the ends of the earth for that kid," Walker said.
But it was Billy Cosgrave whose donation met the family's 588 blood donation goal.
"It feels good to be the one that reached that goal, and you know just remembering why we’re doing it for too, it feels good," said Cosgrave.
"We’ll all do this for Trevor because we just love him and respect him so much," said Walker.
They're doing it for Trevor, and everyone who receives some of their gifts.
The family said their work is not over now that they have met their goal. They will continue to host blood drives each year around May 16.
If you'd like to learn more about blood donation in the Quad Cities area, you can visit the Impact Life website.