ICYMI: Lawler Highlights Landmark Caregiver Legislation, Honoring Dream Shepherd’s Legacy

Ossining, N.Y. - 5/8/26… This week, Congressman Mike Lawler joined community leaders, caregivers, and advocates at the Dreams Legacy Center in Ossining to highlight the introduction of the Dream's Caregiver Health and Wellness Act, legislation designed to strengthen support for caregivers.

The legislation directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to establish grants for nonprofit organizations to provide practical support services for caregivers, including mental health resources, transportation assistance, meals, and other wellness supports.

The bill is inspired by the life and legacy of Dream Ioni Shepherd and the advocacy of her mother, Hudson Valley resident Diana Lemon.

"Caregivers are the backbone of our health care system, but too often they are left to carry enormous responsibilities without the support they need. Dream's story and Diana's advocacy helped expose gaps in our system and drive real change here in New York. This legislation builds on that work by ensuring caregivers have access to practical resources and support services that help them continue caring for their loved ones without sacrificing their own well-being," said Congressman Lawler.

Dream was born with sickle cell disease and spent much of her childhood battling chronic illness, enduring years of treatments, hospitalizations, and a stroke at just five years old. At age ten, she underwent a stem cell transplant after Diana donated her own stem cells in an effort to save her daughter's life.

"My daughter Dream lived with sickle cell disease, survived a stroke, underwent a stem cell transplant, and later developed osteosarcoma, and through that journey I learned how deeply caregivers sacrifice to keep the people they love alive. Dream's Caregiver Health and Wellness Act is about recognition, restoration, and healing justice because caregivers deserve real support.," Diana E. Lemon, Dream's Mother and Advocate, Co-Founder and CEO of OCGDLC.

Following the stem cell transplant, Dream required intensive at-home medical care, including up to 14 hours of daily infusions. After insurance companies denied requests for skilled in-home nursing support, Diana fought for change, ultimately helping secure passage of New York's Dream's Law, which expanded access to professional home care services for medically fragile patients following transplant procedures.

"Care is ancestral, relational, and at its core, an act of love - and today, through the Dream's Caregiver Health and Wellness Act and the release of our white paper, we are calling for a new way forward that recognizes caregivers as whole human beings worthy of care themselves. Because if just 1 million of the more than 63 million caregivers in this country - alongside the practitioners, organizations, and communities supporting them - rose together in resonance, advocacy, and shared care, the ripple effect could transform this nation through collective healing and restoration," said Lauren Green, Co-Founder, Executive Director, & Resident Master Healing Practitioner.

Photos from today's event can be found HERE.

Video from today's event can be found HERE.