After receiving a lifesaving heart transplant as a child, Lauren made a decision that would shape the rest of her life: she would use her second chance to help give others theirs. What began as a young girl sharing her story grew into more than 15 years of advocacy, volunteerism, public service, and community outreach.
Lauren began speaking at Rockland County naturalization ceremonies, encouraging new citizens to register as organ and tissue donors. She later joined fellow advocates at schools, community events, hospitals, government programs, and donor registration drives throughout the region, helping to personally enroll thousands of people in the New York State Donate Life Registry.
At just 12 years old, Lauren’s advocacy helped inspire the passage of Lauren’s Law, New York State legislation requiring everyone applying for or renewing a driver’s license to answer the organ donor question. The law significantly increased donor registrations in New York.
By age 14, Lauren was already a keynote speaker at Philanthropy Day, sharing a message of gratitude, giving, and responsibility to others that would continue throughout her life.
Her service extended far beyond legislative advocacy. For years, Lauren volunteered with LiveOnNY, the New York Blood Center, and the American Heart Association. She organized and participated in blood drives, spoke publicly about the lifesaving importance of blood donation, visited patients in the hospital, educated families and communities about transplantation, and supported donor families as they honored loved ones whose gifts had saved others.
Eventually, advocacy became part of Lauren’s profession. After graduating from Dominican College, she joined LiveOnNY as a Community and Government Affairs Liaison, allowing her to turn a mission she had pursued since childhood into her life’s work. She represented LiveOnNY throughout the Hudson Valley, worked with elected officials and community organizations, participated in Donate Life Month programs and proclamations, coordinated donor-registration and awareness initiatives, and built meaningful relationships with transplant recipients and donor families.
Lauren also believed that community service meant responding to needs beyond her own experience. Through LiveOnNY, she helped organize the organization’s first Community Baby Shower in Rockland County, bringing together more than 20 community partners and donated necessities for expectant and new mothers in Spring Valley. She participated in community blood drives, memorial events honoring organ donors, and countless local programs where her goal was simply to connect people with resources, support and hope.
One of Lauren’s greatest gifts was her ability to make advocacy personal. She did not simply speak about organ donation, she spoke with people, listened to their stories, comforted transplant patients and donor families, and showed by example what gratitude could look like when transformed into service.
She faced challenges throughout her life that most people could never imagine, yet Lauren remained vibrant, funny, fiercely loyal, compassionate and extraordinarily generous. She never wanted to be defined by what happened to her. She wanted to be defined by what she could do for someone else.
Even while Lauren herself was once again waiting for a lifesaving kidney transplant, she continued encouraging others to become donors and advocating on behalf of the thousands of people still waiting. And in her death, she remained true to the mission she had championed for most of her life, becoming a tissue donor and giving to others one final time.
Lauren’s life was far too short, but her service was remarkable. Lauren leaves behind a legacy that will continue to save and change lives for generations.
This scholarship was created in memory of Jocelyn Levner-Nissenbaum who valiantly fought breast cancer with grace and dignity. Jocelyn, a proud graduate of Fallsburg Jr./Sr. High School and SUNY Geneseo, was a speech pathologist who dedicated her life to working with children. This fund provides a scholarship to a Fallsburg graduate who intends on pursuing a career in speech pathology or another field dedicated to working with children. This scholarship was made possible by the family and friends of Jocelyn, as well as the generous members of the Fallsburg community. 