POMONA- New York Blood Center (
Lauren Shields, now 24-years-old, received a life-saving heart transplant in 2009 when she was 8-years-old after a viral infection that caused her to have significant heart failure. Lauren waited a month and a half for a heart transplant, the last 15 days of which she spent on a biventricular assist device and was kept in a medically induced coma.
Lauren was inspired by this experience to become a fearless advocate for the organ donation movement. She is known for her work in lobbying for “Lauren’s Law” which made answering the organ donor question on the DMV form mandatory when registering for or renewing a license in New York State. She has also been a dedicated partner of NYBC, devoting her time to educating others on the importance of blood donation through educational speaking engagements.
Blood donors can give every 56 days, and platelet donors can give twice per month. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently lifted eligibility restrictions for individuals who lived in Europe during certain periods of time. To view current eligibility guidelines, visit savealifenow.org or call 1-800-688-0900.
WHEN: Monday, May 6th, 2024, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
WHERE: American Legion Post 1600, 20 Station Rd. Pomona, NY, 10970
WHO: Blood Donors, Volunteers, and New York Blood Center
WHY: It only takes one hour to donate, and a single donation can save multiple lives. Roughly one in seven hospital admissions require a blood transfusion. Those in need include: cancer patients, accident, burn, or trauma victims, newborn babies and their mothers, transplant recipients, surgery patients, chronically transfused patients suffering from sickle cell disease or thalassemia, and many more.
To make an appointment at this blood drive, donors can call 1-800-933-2566 or visit this link. Can’t donate blood? You can still support NYBC’s mission by texting ‘NYBC’ to ‘20222’ to give $25.
