LEWISBURG — Claire Paulsen of Lewisburg is a sophomore in college, and has already helped save the life of a stranger. Paulsen is one of several people who will be honored at the annual Red Cross Heroes Breakfast Thursday. Everyone is invited to the breakfast in Lewisburg.
Paulsen donated her bone marrow to someone who needed it to survive, “I signed up my freshman year with ‘Be the Match’, which is part of the national bone marrow registry, just to be on the registry for a bone marrow donation. I was called out that summer as a potential and then final match, and then I was able to donate my marrow in November.”
Paulsen explained how she decided this was something she needed to do, “One of my best friends, when I was a sophomore in high school, was diagnosed with Lymphoma. So, being at the hospital with her over that summer and watching her suffer, and seeing other children at the Janet Weis Children’s Hospital suffer, I knew I wanted to do something, so I could help. When I signed up, I signed up in honor of her, and I wanted to be able to give somebody a second chance at life.”
Paulsen will receive a hero’s award at the breakfast Thursday at Country Cupboard in Lewisburg. Other awards will be given to a number of area heroes including a high school student, firefighters, nurses, emergency service workers and more. To find out more about the Heroes Breakfast, which is open to the public, you can call 570-524-0400. (Ali Stevens)