‘It all happened so fast’

“Don’t take life for granted,” Beth Thomas said. “You don’t know what tomorrow brings. It’s not promised to you.”

Thomas, a Baldwin resident and mother of seven, now has a new outlook on life, brought on by tragedy. Her 28-year-old daughter Donna died on May 24 after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma a few weeks earlier. Donna, a single mother, is survived by her 11-year-old son, Jaylin, a sixth-grader at Baldwin Middle School. Beth now has custody of her grandson.

Friends and family members described Donna as a hard worker who would jump at the chance to volunteer at community events, including Baldwin 4 Children and Baldwin Civic Association fundraisers.

She was a medical biller at an office in Garden City, and attended Nassau Community College at night, where she was working on a nursing degree. According to her mother, she would have graduated next year, and aimed to become a registered nurse.

Heather Cameron first met Donna in January 2014 at a B4C basketball game Cameron organized to raise money to reinstate the middle school sports programs that had been cut in the previous year’s budget. Beth and her children all volunteered to help out, including Donna, who was one of the game’s cheerleaders. Cameron recalls Donna taking the lead and helping the other volunteer cheerleaders learn steps and cheers.

According to Cameron, Donna looked to help her community whenever possible. “If there was a community event, she was there,” Cameron said. “If she could help, she would.”

Donna, who attended Baldwin schools, including Lenox Elementary School, also loved to travel, and was planning a trip to Disney World with Jaylin later this year. Her mother is hoping she can take Jaylin on his dream vacation, especially after the harrowing experience he’s been through.

In early April, Donna was admitted to South Nassau Communities Hospital, where she was diagnosed with pancreatitis, Beth said. But her condition worsened, and she was transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital on April 19.