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In loving memory Lauren Arch’s celebration of life is Sunday at Legion

By Braden Carmen 5 min read

On April 8, the life of Lauren Arch came to an end at the age of 18.

The Fredonia High School senior was just a few months shy of graduation, but instead of enjoying spring break like her classmates did, Lauren was intubated in a hospital bed at Oishei Children's Hospital in Buffalo. Within days, her second bout with COVID-19 took her life.

"People thought she was sick. She was not sick. She died of COVID," said Jeff Arch, her father. "... It's like a nightmare, like it's not real. But it's real."

Lauren previously battled the virus three years prior to her death, near the onset of the pandemic. Her first battle included a two-week stay in the hospital. However, she fully recovered from the illness and returned to her everyday life.

"Three years ago, when she walked out of the hospital, the doctors called her a walking phenomenon. So we lived every day like it was a miracle, hoping that no one else went through what we went through those 14 days," Jeff Arch said. "... It happened to us once, then it happened to us a second time."

Aside from checkups with doctors every so often, Lauren's life returned to normal -- but even then, she regularly wore a mask to try to prevent from getting the disease again. She was fully vaccinated from COVID-19.

"For three years, my daughter lived with the worry of if she ever got COVID again. She wore a mask to school every single day. She had a can of Lysol in her car. She was very aware of her surroundings," Jeff Arch said. "... After so many people dying, you'd think that people would take this more seriously than they do. We did, because we lived through 14 days of it the first time."

The week of Lauren's death, she tested positive for COVID on Tuesday. She took a turn for the worse on Thursday night, at which point the family drove straight to Oishei Children's Hospital. Lauren was intubated on Friday, then on Saturday, doctors prepared her to transport to receive a pacemaker. But before the transport could take place, not even two full days after being admitted, Lauren died.

Jeff Arch said, even after the death of his daughter, people still force their opinions about the virus and the vaccine on him.

"Society now just thinks it's gone. A lot of them think COVID is not real," Jeff Arch said. "Now we're one of those statistics about how many people are dead. I've still got people coming to me telling me why they didn't get vaccinated. It's a joke. I don't ask for your opinion, and I don't really want it now. We watched our daughter die from COVID."

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Now, on the same weekend Lauren would have celebrated her graduation party, her family and friends will instead celebrate the life she lived that was unjustly cut short.

A celebration of Lauren's life will be Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m. at the American Legion on Main Street in Fredonia. Food will be available from 2 to 5 p.m. To RSVP, text 716-523-2472.

Lauren was a passionate artist and a lover of animals. She especially enjoyed to draw anime and had plenty of animals, including multiple dogs which she showed at professional dog shows with her parents, Jeff and Becky Arch, who are renowned professional dog handlers.

"We would've had a zoo at our house if it was up to her," Jeff Arch said.

Lauren's art was featured throughout the school in multiple ways during her time as a Fredonia student. She designed the artwork for the yearbook when she was in middle school, she created the logo for the game club, and she contributed to a mural in the hallway of the school. Lauren also received a 5 -- the highest possible score -- on an AP Art project she submitted with her final portfolio.

To honor Lauren, the school has dedicated a corner of the library to display students' artwork alongside Lauren's work to highlight the art student of the month.

"It's nice to see that her passion is going to be shown," Becky Arch said.

Jeff Arch credited the school for how they treated both Lauren and also his son, Josh, who also went to Fredonia High School.

"I never worried about my kids at school," Jeff Arch said. "It's a nice community with good people in it."

To honor their daughter's memory, Jeff and Becky Arch have started a scholarship fund to benefit a Fredonia High School art student who plans to pursue higher education, like Lauren planned to do this fall at Daemen University as part of the school's honors program. The fund, titled The Lauren Arch Memorial Art Scholarship, has already raised more than $13,500 from over 100 donors.

"I want to put everything we get toward my daughter's passion. Everything we get will go to scholarships for the art department. Whatever the art teachers come up with, I want to do for them," Jeff Arch said.

To contribute to The Lauren Arch Memorial Art Scholarship, visit gofundme.com/f/the-lauren-arch-memorial-art-scholarship

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