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Hospital Workers Honor Fallen Deputy By Donating Blood

By Shawn Chitnis

LITTLETON, Colo. (CBS4) -- Medical staff wanting to honor the life of fallen deputy Zack Parrish hosted a blood drive Friday and donated their own blood to thank law enforcement officers that keep communities safe, and to help to save other lives in the future.

"Every time one of us has the chance to donate, it can help up to three people who need blood," said Chris Miller, the associate chief nursing officer at Littleton Adventist Hospital and a blood donor.

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Douglas County Deputy Zackari Parrish was among four deputies a police officer and two civilians who were shot at the Copper Canyon Apartments in Douglas County on New Year's Eve.

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The blood drive Friday afternoon received donations from at least 70 people, which can help 210 people that are in need of blood.

"This has profound impact on our teams," said Miller. "We work so closely with all of the emergency responders, and they take care of us every day."

The staff at the hospital treated all of the victims in that New Year's Eve shooting including Parrish. After treating them and meeting their families, the hospital wanted to give back and show their commitment to the community.

"For us to be able to give something back is meaningful for all of us here," said Miller.

Littleton Adventist Hospital teamed up with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Centura Health, and Bonfils Blood Center to host the blood drive in honor of Parrish. Donations were also collected at a Centura location in Highlands Ranch.

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"We have so many people that are married to police officers, and paramedics, and firefighters, and this is world that they live in every day," said Miller. "The impact that it had takes a long time for people to recover from."

To schedule an appointment, contact the Bonfils Appointment Center by phone or online at www.bonfils.org.

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Parrish is survived by his wife Gracie and their two daughters, ages 1 and 4. A GoFundMe page set up to help the Parrish family raised more than $200,000 in one day. Donations can also be made to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office Fallen Officer Fund.

Shawn Chitnis reports for CBS4 News at 10 on weekends and CBS4 News at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. throughout the week. Email him story ideas at smchitnis@cbs.com and connect with him on Twitter or Facebook.

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