10-13 -- P.O. Lauren Raczynsky

Officer Lauren Raczynsky has been with the Yorktown Police Department since 2011. During her time on patrol, PO Raczynsky was always very community oriented. She is known for being a very outgoing and personable police officer, who truly cared for the well-being of others. Lauren was assigned as a domestic violence investigator. She was assigned to following up with victims of domestic incidents, as she was trained in the area of victim’s assistance. Lauren is loved both within the police department, as well as the community.

Lauren and her husband were married in 2012, after which they battled for a couple years with infertility. Lauren tried multiple ways to help conceive a child, however all were unsuccessful. It was during this time, she began having severe pains and battling constant illness. After multiple doctor visits and testing Lauren lost her battle with infertility. She was scheduled to have a hysterectomy. The doctor informed her the surgery would be fairly simple, and only take approximately an hour. Upon incision, the doctor found Lauren’s condition to be much worse than previously thought. Lauren had Adenomyosis, cysts, and wide spread endometriosis. The hysterectomy was complete, however a second surgeon was called in to remove her appendix and perform emergency ileostomy. Lauren woke up finding the surgery was much more invasive then planned, and now having a bag similar to a colostomy.

The surgery was over; however Lauren was still having pains, as well as developing neurological issues. A second surgery was scheduled a few months later. The bag was removed, but the disease was still present in her body. She was forced to find a doctor in the city, who specialized in the area of endometriosis. Lauren was diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis, which had spread throughout her pelvis. The specialist urged Lauren to have her neurological issues evaluated. After multiple testing, Lauren was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and Fibromyalgia. Multiple Sclerosis affects the central nervous system, and can lead to difficulty walking, muscle weakness, blurred vision, numbness, overall body pain, and difficultly remembering/processing information. Lauren has lesions on both her brain and spine. She takes injections three times a week to try and keep the MS from progressing, as there is currently no cure.

Lauren was then scheduled for a third surgery, which again took over eight hours. The vast majority of the endometriosis was removed from her body. Although endometriosis does not have a cure, and does come back, it is unlikely to be as severe. Unfortunately, her colon was also heavily diseased, and a large portion of it needed to be removed, resulting in another ileostomy bag.

Surgery number four is not too far in the future. Lauren is doing well, all things considered, however much of the medical team assisting in her battle are out of network. This year alone, She has spent more than 20,000 dollars out of pocket. Unfortunately, Lauren will be unable to return to work as a Yorktown police officer. Despite being a five year veteran, she will be ineligible to obtain a pension after her resignation. Post resignation, her next option is applying for disability services. The extensive medical bills and loss of income is devastating to Lauren and her husband. 

Lauren knows that the road ahead is tough, but she has a strong faith in God, and believes He has a plan. She will miss the officers she has worked with over the years, who she considers her family, but acknowledges they will always be there for her. Lauren’s hope for the New Year is to live her life to the fullest, stay as healthy as possible, and be thankful for each day.

All donations will help fund Officer Lauren Raczynsky's current and future medical bills, as well as, loss of income after resignation.

Thank you for any, and all donations......