As a young child Lauri was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and underwent a multitude of medical procedures. The love and care she received from the people who cared for her during her illness inspired her to help others and work in the medical field as a respiratory therapist.
In 1990, after working many years as a respiratory therapist, Lauri was encouraged by the physicians that she worked with to launch an in-home medical testing service. It was an instant success and she quickly outgrew her home-base and her current business, Valley Sleep Center was born.
However, life has a way of throwing curves, and two years into her growing business and five months pregnant with her third child, Lauri was diagnosed with a very aggressive and rare form of cancer called Burkitt’s lymphoma.
Doctors told her that in order to live, she needed chemotherapy immediately, but that the chances of losing or damaging her unborn child were extremely high. They advised her to consider aborting her child to save her own life. It was not an easy decision to make, however after much prayer, Lauri and her husband decided against abortion. Four chemotherapy treatments, three surgeries and just a couple of months later Lauri gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Connor, her “miracle baby” was born on January 7th. Coincidentally it was Lauri’s birthday as well.