Please Help Support Dream Shepherd's Family

Please Help Us Support The Family Of Our Beloved Angel, Dream Shepherd, Gone Too Soon

At the precious age of 16, on the evening of Saturday, August 21, 2021, Dream Ioni Shepherd transitioned to Heaven.

Born with sickle cell anemia, Dream was a true warrior who spent much of her childhood fighting this debilitating disease, enduring years of chronic pain and a stroke at the tender age of 5 years old.

At the age of 10, Dream received a stem cell transplant from her Mom, Diana Lemon, to help give her a fighting chance; the recovery process was long and hard, yet Dream remained a beacon of light, spreading kindness and love and always filled with gratitude.

After months of recovery, the hospital was prepared to release Dream while she had a central venous line (similar to a very long IV) inserted toward her heart to administer medication and fluids. Her Mom’s request for a skilled nurse to care for her daughter’s central venous line at home, which would require up to 14 hours of infusions daily, was denied by her insurance company. The type of care Dream needed would have forced Diana to leave her job, leaving her with no source of income. Never one to give up, Dream and her mom worked hard alongside the non-profit organization Friends of Karen and got Dream’s Law passed in New York state, ensuring that medically fragile people receive proper at-home professional medical care once they leave the hospital after transplant surgeries

On her road to recovery, Dream became a rising senior at Ossining High School, an active girl scout and an honoree as one of New York State’s young “Women of Distinction". Despite chronic pain and many medical setbacks, Dream worked tirelessly to show others how young people can be active and excel, even while battling chronic medical conditions.

Just when Dream was able to regain a sense of normalcy in reconnecting with peers and blossoming into her teenage years, she was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma cancer.

Most recently, Dream and her Mom were working to pass another law ‘Shepherd-Patterson’ to ensure that parents and guardians with medically challenged children receive the proper information from their doctor regarding special services and accommodations once they enter school in New York State.

On her road to recovery from sickle cell, Dream trail blazed a path of recovery that few with this rare diagnosis get to experience. Although her journey was difficult, part of what had always sustained Dream was her Village who inspired her to give in service to others on small and large scales.

If you’ve read our story to this point, I believe you to be a part of Dream’s army of villagers and we need your help with the funeral and the insurmountable medical expenses incurred during this most difficult time.

Dream touched so many lives in her 16 years on this earth:

• At 5 years old, Make a Wish Foundation made her dreams come true when she got to meet Princess Tiana at Disney World.
• Dream was a dedicated member of troop number 2233 from kindergarten through ninth grade -- After 9th grade she was a “Juliette,” with the Girls Scouts of Hudson Valley.
• At the tender age of 10, Dream was honored as one of New York State’s ”Women of Distinction” by former State Senator Carlucci, who indicated that he honored Dream “not only for her brave spirit, but for her passion to help others. Even while battling her own health issues, she is busy raising awareness and funds for sickle cell disease.”
• At age 11, through her affiliation with the Bone Marrow Foundation, Dream was named “Announcer for a Day” for the Westchester Knicks where she developed a special friendship with NBA player Langston Galloway.
• At age 14, Dream was featured in a special “We Survived Transplant” moment of celebration with Robin Roberts from Good Morning America.
• Dream also performed with the group O.A.R 2.0 at both Radio City Music Hall and the Beacon Theater.
• For her Sweet 16th birthday, Dream received some extra special magic when her favorite actress Anika Noni Rose, who played Princess Tiana in Disney’s “Princess And the Frog”, serenaded her with a beautiful rendition of “Almost There".

Help us keep the magic of Dream’s legacy alive by supporting Dream’s family as they prepare for her Homegoing and begin their own road to recovery.

~Diana with her friends and family came together to write this beautiful tribute to Dream~