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Photo courtesy of Ann Langley.
0714 Laura Langley
Rebekah Davenport, a close friend of Laura Langley, looks over her shoulder while donating blood at last summer’s blood drive.
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Photo courtesy of Ann Langley.
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Laura Langley, pictured one year before her passing.
When Ann Langley’s neighbors in Ross Bridge heard what had happened, they acted.
They knew Laura, Ann’s daughter, would have wanted something good to come from the tragedy.
In 2012, Laura was killed in a car accident when the car, driven by one of her friends, veered off the road into a light pole.
Four hours after the accident, Laura had lost massive amounts of blood. She passed away due to internal bleeding.
“[Laura] was extraordinarily fun-loving, and everybody who speaks about Laura says something about her laughter,” Langley said. “She always found a reason to be happy and joyful in what she was doing, and it was infectious.”
Langley was familiar with the American Red Cross, so that first year they held a blood drive in Ross Bridge, where Langley and her husband moved after Laura left for college. That year they collected enough blood to save 250 lives.
“It was a real blessing to be able to turn this around in such a meaningful way with an organization I already had a passion for,” Langley said. “We knew immediately we wanted to repeat it.”
This year, however, the blood drive is moving to First Christian Church on Valleydale Road, where Laura grew up and spent most of her life. The event is set for Aug. 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“We thought how much more meaningful this would be to more people who actually knew, loved and understood Laura’s passion and give-back attitude throughout her life,” Langley said.
After graduating from Oak Mountain, Laura continued her education at The University of Alabama in social work and started her career at AIDS Alabama.
Langley said Laura dedicated her life to helping others, and she was a strong advocate for social justice concerns on campus at Alabama.
In honor of her passion for social work, both The University of Alabama and the Langleys have dedicated two scholarships in Laura’s memory.
The Laura Langley Social Justice Award was developed by The University of Alabama immediately after Laura passed, and two students have received the award already. The Langleys’ scholarship has also been given out to two students.
Apart from the scholarships, colleagues of Laura at AIDS Alabama named a community center, Langley Center, to honor both Laura and her father, who worked there five years prior to her.
“She really was an extraordinary woman who made a huge difference in a very short life,” Langley said. “What we are proud of now is that her legacy will live on in the way she chose to make a difference with her life.”
3rd Annual Laura Langley Memorial Blood Drive
August 23 • 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
First Christian Church
4954 Valleydale Road
