Lauren’s Bat Mitzvah

Donate To This Campaign

Dear Fam​ily and Friends,

For my mitzvah project I chose to support something very personal to me and my family. Some of you may know that when I was born I was diagnosed with Pulmonary Stenosis - which is when your heart valve doesn’t open and close properly. Dr. Donald Putman had been taking great care of my heart but by the time I was three I had to have surgery to repair the damaged valve. My parents took me to Newark Beth Israel Medical Center where Dr. Rajiv Verma saved my life on November 15^th 2011.

After the surgery I had to lay completely still for 6 hours, which is really hard for a 3 year old to do. Luckily for me I had such great and caring parents. They went to Learning Express and asked them to individually wrap a ton of toys to keep me busy and still for those very long 6 hours. As lucky as I was, I know that many other kids are not.

This is why my mitzvah project is to raise money to purchase toys for kids in the PCICU (pediatric cardiothoracic intensive care unit). The money I raise will go directly to the Child Life Specialists who will be able to purchase toys for their patients in the PCICU. I will also be able to go visit with Dr. Verma at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, meet some of the children and personally give them some of the toys.

It would mean so much to me if you would help by donating to Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and to the many kids who are less fortunate.

Thank you so much to all my family and friends for taking the time to make this drive so successful.

Much Love, Lauren