LAPEER, Michigan — Energized by his new heart, Jim LaFontaine, an LCS alumnus, told a class of first graders at Mayfield Elementary recently about his new lease on life.

LaFontaine, the uncle of first grader David Jackson, was a special guest for Show and Tell. He is a grateful recipient of a new heart after a transplant back in June. David’s mother, Janelle, said the experience was a memorable one for students.

“He was able to share in first grade terms how doctors and advances in medicine saved his life with a new heart, when his old one didn’t work anymore,” she said.

Ironically, David’s teacher, Debbie Daley, is an outspoken supporter of organ donation. Daley’s son, Thomas, died in 2011 after a tragic accident on the family farm. He was only 23.  Since then, Debbie and her husband, state representative Kevin Daley, have become passionate advocates of organ donation.

The Thomas Daley Gift of Life Fund was created to increase awareness of the life-changing power of organ donation. Katy Mather, who received Thomas Daley’s heart, recently appeared with the family to celebrate the successful launch of the Gift of Life Fund.

For more information, visit Donate Life online.