The Mineola Chamber of Commerce and the Mineola Fire Department will hold a blood and bone marrow drive in support of Sara Dawber on Saturday Sept. 26, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Mineola Village Hall Community Center at 155 Washington Ave. in Mineola. The event will be held in conjunction with a fundraising pancake breakfast.
Dawber is the granddaughter of Loretta and Marty Dawber, longtime residents of Mineola. Loretta spent many years keeping countless children safe as a bus aide with the Mineola School District.
Honorary chief Marty Dawber is a 50-year member of the MFD where he has been twice awarded Firefighter of the Year, the department’s highest award. Sara’s father, Darrin is a former NYPD police officer who was injured in the Sept. 11th, 2001 terror attacks.
Sara’s mother, Lisa, is a teacher in Hicksvile and her brother, Darrin, is currently teaching at Chaminade High School. Sara is a 2014 graduate of Commack High School where she excelled as a cheerleader. She entered Molloy College to pursue a career assisting the hearing impaired.
In March, she was suddenly diagnosed with a form of Leukemia known as AML. In order to have a fighting chance, Sara needed a bone marrow transplant. For several months, the Dawbers were living at Cohen’s Children’s Hospital as Sara received blood transfusions and chemotherapy. Thanks to a heroic individual who had registered in the bone marrow registry, a bone marrow donor was found. On July 9, Sara underwent her bone marrow transplant. After a difficult six-week recovery, she returned home.
Sara’s fight can serve as an inspiration to many young and old. The simple act of donating blood can help save many lives.
