TIFT COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) - Lt. John Edenfield, a paramedic with Tift County Fire Rescue, died of a heart attack on September 6, 2020, just before responding to a call. But even after his passing, his mission to help others hasn’t stopped.

Five years after Lt. John Edenfield passed away, his life-saving legacy continues one pint at a time.

On Tuesday, community members gathered at the Tift County Recreation Department to honor Edenfield through the Badges for Life program, an initiative that encourages blood donations in honor of fallen first responders.

“Every day I wake up, I know he’s still there doing what he loved to do helping people and saving lives,” said Bo Edenfield, his father. “When you see these people his coworkers, his friends, his family you feel the love he gave them. And they loved him.”

According to the American Red Cross, someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds. Just one pint of blood can save up to three lives, and with South Georgia facing a critical shortage, this event carried an even deeper meaning.

“I’ve known John David and his family all his life,” said Beth Connell, co-chair of the blood drive. “It’s a privilege to help carry on his legacy. He loved people, and he always wanted to take care of everybody.”

Edenfield’s family says he never hesitated to put others first, and becoming a paramedic was more than a job. It was his calling.

“He always told me, ‘Dad, I need to be helping people.’ That was his goal,” Bo Edenfield added.

“He didn’t just wear the badge, he lived the mission,” said his family. “This is how we keep that mission going.”

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