Lexi Keller of Pendleton seems just like any other 10-year-old. But her heart beats to a different drum — something she and her family celebrate annually like a birthday.

Saturday was Lexi’s sixth “heart birthday” since undergoing a heart transplant at age 4. Her celebration came in the form of a blood drive at St. Peter’s Lutheran School in Sanborn.

The drive marked her third hosted by Upstate New York Transplant Services. An hour and a half into the drive, several pints of blood had been collected.

Lexi’s cause is simple. “I just wanted to give back.”

Danielle Keller said her daughter underwent her first open-heart surgery when she was just 5 months old. The operation led to sickness and a heart that was damaged beyond repair. Rather than fixing her congenital heart defect, doctors opted to put Lexi on the heart transplant waiting list when she was 4 years old.

In the meantime, Lexi was given 3z full-body blood transfusions and later put into a medically induced coma. Two months passed before she received a heart.

“This is a way to make sure the blood will be there for another patient like Lexi,” Keller said.

She said the family hosts the annual drive through Upstate New York Transplant Services because donations stay local.

Lexi has little to no memory of the procedures she endured as a younger child, but is fully aware of what they meant. Aside from having to take daily medication and make regular doctors’ visits, she functions normally — playing and maintaining interests in sports such as basketball, volleyball, soccer and cheerleading.

“I just have to know my limits and don’t overdo it,” Lexi said. “But I can do anything. I just can’t ride roller coasters because they go too fast.”

Still, Keller said she worries about her child.

“Her immune system isn’t a normal immune system,” she said. “She gets pneumonia more often than other people. I don’t think that worry ever goes away, but we have very strong faith.”

Saturday’s drive was accompanied by child-friendly activities, such as cookie decorating and painting at picnic tables outside.

Amanda Farrell, director of recruitment for Upstate New York Transplant Services, said families like the Kellers help put a face on the cause of donating blood.

“It does help people just like Lexi,” Farrell said. “We’re always looking to continue to get the message out that we need people to donate here in order for blood to stay in our community.”

The annual blood drive, Keller said, is something the family plans to keep doing for years to come.

“Who knows? Maybe she’ll end up getting married on this day and then it’ll be another big way to celebrate. It could be a big anniversary all in one,” she said. “I keep teasing her that we’re going to do a blood drive at her wedding.”

jsmith@buffnews.comnull