Silas Moore was just three years old when his family moved from New Hampshire to plant roots alongside grandparents John and Mary Loney in the northwest Montana wilderness.

“He was the reason we moved out here in the first place,” Silas said. “We lived maybe five minutes away from them.”

Silas’s grandparents were a major presence in his life, from enjoying family meals every Sunday to creating lifelong memories with new adventures.

“When I was 10, my grandma and grandpa took me on a cruise ship to Alaska,” said Silas, now 18. “That was so much fun. I will never forget that.”

They had set sail around the time of John’s kidney cancer diagnosis. For the next eight years, he remained a stronghold in their lives while fighting for his own. Then one day, life stood still for Silas and his family.

“I was in the middle of a cross-country race when he passed away,” Silas recalled.

Blood donors played a critical role for the family leading up to John’s passing in September 2024.

Silas hosted a drive in Troy in his honor last summer to give back to the community that rolled up a sleeve and showed up when they were needed most.

“Towards the end, he needed a lot of blood transfusions, and that allowed him to stay with us for much longer than he would have without them,” Silas said. “And that made me realize the need for blood.”

Through the drive, the Moore family and friends in the Troy/Yaak areas found hope in their heartbreak.

“Everyone who donated blood all had a connection to him at some point,” he said. “And they all wanted to help make a difference and knew that this was a great way they could do that.” 

The drive collected over 35 units — ensuring others in need of blood would have more time with their loved ones.

“I never even really thought about (blood donation) that much until he needed them, and I really never thought about where it was coming from,” Silas said. “It was 100 percent for him.”

The blood drive also led to a scholarship through Red Cross’s Leaders Save Lives program.

“It was just a bonus.”

Those funds will help Silas begin his next adventure this fall.

“I’m looking forward to college,” he said. “Being homeschooled, I’ve never been in a public schooling setting, so this will be very new for me.”

Silas will join the Navy ROTC program at the University of Idaho and pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. He’ll be following in the footsteps of his grandfather, who was a helicopter pilot and mechanic in the Air Force during the Vietnam War. John had attended a veterans’ assistance event when he noticed a brochure about the military ROTC programs and approached Silas.

“He was like, ‘I thought you might like this. And that’s fine if you don’t want to do that, but I thought I’d show you this,’” Silas said. “And I was like, ‘That actually sounds really awesome.’”

In the end, the Navy branch of the ROTC program looked to be a better fit.

“So, he did even more research on that,” Silas said. “He did a lot for me.”

From collecting lifesaving blood to starting college, Silas believes his grandfather would be proud of the course he’s charted.

“He would be very, very happy.”

A deep love and respect for their grandfather runs in the family. Silas’s brother will host a blood drive in John’s memory this August.

To learn more about the Red Cross Leaders Save Lives program, visit https://
www.redcrossblood.org/hosting-a-blood-drive/learn-about-hosting/why-host-a-blood-drive/leaders-save-lives.html.