Fairborn blood drive Wednesday to honor late infant
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – One local woman is working hard to keep the memory of her infant daughter alive by helping other people.
Arianna Wagers' daughter Willow passed away in February 2023 at only 38 days old.
This year, Wagers is working with Versiti Blood Center of Ohio to host the 3rd annual blood drive in Willow's honor.
'My daughter was definitely a fighter and nothing less,' said Wagers. 'Every year I do things to keep her name alive, like donating to Kettering NICU, and holding yearly blood drives because she needed many blood transfusions in her 38 days of life.'
On Christmas, Wagers and a group of volunteers donated 23 care packages to Kettering NICU. On the anniversary of Willow's passing, she donated custom onesies and preemie hats.
The Baby Willow Memorial blood drive will be on Wednesday, March 5, from 3-6 p.m. It will be held at Fairborn Moose Lodge #1068.
To make an appointment, click here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Dayton realtors support former foster youth with collection drive
Previous coverage on local services for homeless youth. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – Aging out of foster care can be a remarkably difficult and stressful situation to navigate. Dayton Realtors is doing something to help these young adults here in the Miami Valley. According to the National Foster Youth Institute, approximately 20,000 people between the ages of 18 and 21 age out of the foster care system annually. On Wednesday, June 11, Dayton Realtors held a 'Furnishing Futures' donation drive focusing on aiding young men who have aged out of foster care. Toiletries, new tools, cleaning supplies, household goods and more were collected to benefit Disciples of Destiny, which provides housing and support for men aged 18 through 26 who have been emancipated from foster care and are facing homelessness. Dayton Realtors said it hopes to make a difference in the lives of these young men. Save a life by donating blood this June These guys are often left with no support system once they age out; many face homelessness and food insecurity. Navigating young adulthood without any external support. 2 NEWS spoke with Nieberding about this critical work at the collection drive. He cited a desire to do more in retirement and his strong religious beliefs to help his community. He said the data on those aging out of foster care shocked him. 'I saw the statistic where '40% of youth who come out of foster care at age 18, are automatically homeless' and often are lured into the sex trades in order to get food and lodging — what we take for granted,' said Nieberding. 'Then, within a short two years, 60% of them end up in state prisons. I said, This is a tremendous amount of loss, and potential.' (The specific study he saw is unclear; however, he is likely referencing the 1995 National Alliance to End Homelessness survey. Now, in 2025, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, that number is approximately 25 percent. Which shows the critical work that has been done and continues to need to be done to lower it further.) Summer Arts Festival offers free events in June, July He shared they're collecting 'just about anything you would need for your life' for these young men. Things the average person might not even realize they use daily, like cooking and cleaning utensils. 'Also, gift cards or various things for the guys to buy stuff,' said Nieberding. 'We can use them as rewards for when guys do good behavior or turn in all their paperwork for their self-discovery work on helping them to get their lives back.' 'It's been huge for me:' Local man earns prestigious honor for art He spoke on the success of the program. On how overwhelmingly joyful it is to see a young life changed for the better because someone took the time to care. 'Disciples of Destiny is here to help. To anybody who needs that age, 18 to 26, we primarily care for guys, but we also care for women. We can help them, not with the living situation, but we can do a referral. We also often them [young women] groups to be a part of it,' said Nieberding. For state-wide resources for former foster youths, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Local nonprofit accepting Christmas ornaments for fall event
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Organizers of a nonprofit holiday event in Huber Heights are asking the public for donations of their unwanted Christmas ornaments. From 2 to 4 p.m. on June 14 behind St. Peter Elementary School at 6185 Chambersburg Road, a drive-thru, drop-off event will occur. Donated ornaments will be used for the St. Peter Christmas Bazaar, held the second weekend in November. Fake trees, lights and wreaths are not being accepted during the drop-off event. 'These are drive-thru events so if you can get the items into your car, we can take it from there,' said organizers. If you have ornaments to donate but can't make it out, email organizers here to set up an alternative arrangement. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Military dog retires during special ceremony
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — One lucky pup is heading home with her handler after a career working as a military dog. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base held a Military Working Dog Retirement Ceremony on Tuesday to honor 8-year-old Misha. WPAFB working to combat forever chemicals, water contamination Throughout her service, Misha has worked more than 80 Secret Service missions, executed over 3,000 hours of anti-terrorism measures and delivered more than 100 canine demonstrations to the public. Misha's handler is also retiring from active service. He says they've both worked hard for this moment. 'Some of my favorite memories are going out to the caterpillar factory and protecting a school from a bomb threat,' said Kyle Runk, Misha's handler. 'Seeing how these dogs work and how they're man's best friend, how they work to protect everyone, how kind and sweet they can be, but how important their job is to the military and the public community around them.' Runk says Misha loves to play, and is sure she'll have no problem transitioning to civilian life. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
