TREY, THANK YOU. A BLOOD DRIVE AND FUNDRAISER FOR 12 YEAR-OLD, JAVIER, ADRIAN FAJARDO JUST ENDED AT 5:00. THE BOY FROM KENNER WAS FATALLY INJURED ABOUT A MONTH AGO WHEN AN ICE CREAM TRUCK PLOWED INTO HIS APARTMENT COMPLEX INTO HIS BEDROOM. WDSU REPORTER ARIEL BRUMFIELD IS LIVE AT THE BLOOD DONATION CENTER IN KENNER HOWE AND TELLS US HOW THE COMMUNITY STEPPED UP TO HELP HIS FAMILY TODAY. ARIEL, AS AS TRAGIC AS JAVIER, ADRIAN’S PASSING WAS, HE HAS INSPIRED SO MANY PEOPLE TO HELP OTHERS IN NEED. AND TODAY THAT WAS DONE BY BLOOD DONATIONS AND THE FAMILY SAYS THEY’RE JUST CONTINUALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT THAT THEY’RE GETTING FROM THE COMMUNITY. IT’S THE BLOOD DONATED TODAY THAT’S GOING TO HELP SOMEBODY TOMORROW. FROM TRAGEDY TO FORTUNE. JAVIER WAS ONE OF SEVERAL PATIENTS THAT NEEDED BLOOD THAT DAY. EVERY SINGLE DAY WE NEED TO COLLECT ABOUT 250 UNITS OF BLOOD TO TAKE CARE OF OUR AREA PATIENTS AND THAT ONLY HAPPENS WHEN THE COMMUNITY COMES OUT ROLLS UP THEIR SLEEVE. NEARLY TWO DOZEN PEOPLE ROLLED UP THEIR SLEEVES TO DONATE BLOOD IN HONOR OF JAVIER ADRIAN FAJARDO, WHO DIED AFTER AN ICE CREAM TRUCK PLOWED INTO HIS APARTMENT COMPLEX IN KENNER IN AN EFFORT TO KEEP HIM ALIVE, ADRIAN UNDERWENT 16 BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS BEFORE SUCCUMBING TO HIS INJURIES AND DONATING HIS ORGANS TO OTHERS IN NEED. THE BOY WITH A BIG HEART, AN EVEN BIGGER PERSONALITY NOW PRICKING THE HEARTS OF OTHERS. I FIGURE THIS IS THE LEAST I COULD DO. THERE’S PEOPLE IN NEED DAILY. SOMETIMES THERE’S BLOOD SHORTAGES, YOU KNOW. SO IF I HAVE IT, I CAN. I’LL SHARE, YOU KNOW, SHARE WHAT I CAN DO, WHAT I CAN. THIS FAMILY LOST THEIR HOME. THEY LOST THEIR CHILD. THEY’RE WORKING ON BURYING THEIR SON NOW. AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US AS A COMMUNITY TO COME TOGETHER AND HELP THEM AMID AN ONGOING BLOOD SHORTAGE. I’M TOLD THE BLOOD DONATIONS WILL SERVE 60 HOSPITALS BETWEEN SOUTH LOUISIANA AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI. THE DONATIONS WILL BE USED FOR RED BLOOD CELLS AND PLATELETS AND FOR PLASMA. EVEN THROUGH THEIR GRIEF, ADRIAN’S MOM AND UNCLE TELLS ME IMPACT IS THEIR PURPOSE. IT’S JUST A LOVELY WE WE WE LOVE IT. I CAN’T I CAN’T BELIEVE HOW THE COMMUNITY HAS COME TOGETHER TO TO DO SO MUCH BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I HAVE NEVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE THIS. BUT I FEEL THERE’S LIKE A LOT. MORE THROUGH HIS ORGANS AND WITH A LOT OF LOVE. THAT’S HOW SHE TRYING TO KEEP ADRIAN’S MEMORY ALIVE. AND YOU HEARD IN THE STORY THAT THERE WERE NEARLY TWO DOZEN DONATIONS. I’VE ACTUALLY GOT AN UPDATED NUMBER THAT IT’S CLOSE TO 40 NOW. WHO PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONATED BLOOD TO HELP ADRIAN. THE FAMILY ALSO WAS PUT UP IN A HOTEL BY JEFFERSON PARISH, AIRLINE DRIVE THEY’RE NOW STAYING WITH FAMILY MEMBERS, BUT I’M TOLD THEY ARE STILL LOOKING TO FIND AFFORDABLE HOUSING REPORTING IN KENNER, I’M ARIEL BRUMFIELD, WDSU NEWS. ARIEL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. AND WHEN IT COMES TO THE SUSPECT INVOLVED IN THIS CRASH, KENNER POLICE ARRESTED 71 YEAR OLD MICHAEL MANSOUR. HE IS FACING A CHARGE OF NEGLIGENT HOMICIDE. POLICE SAY MANSOUR TOLD THEM THE GAS PEDAL MALFUNCTIONED AND WAS STUCK. BUT POLICE SAY IT WAS DETERMINED THE PEDAL WAS NOT STUCK. WE HAVE COVERED THIS STORY EXTENSIVELY AND YOU CAN READ ALL OF OUR PAST REPORT