Donna label passed away from ALS on May 17, 2019 in her home with her family by her side. In lieu of flowers, her family appreciates any donations made to the ALS Association Greater Sacramento Chapter in the name of Donna Label.

This is the story of a brave wife, mother, sister and aunt who dedicated her life to helping others.

Donna Label was born on August 3, 1954 in Avenal, California to Hallie and Jack Anderson.  She was the middle child of four sisters.  As a young child she spent several months in Children’s Valley Hospital in Fresno fighting constant leg cramps which had thought to be polio.  Polio was medically ruled out and a medical diagnosis was not established.  She outgrew the leg cramps and as she grew up in Avenal, she attended Avenal Elementary school.  Her family later moved to Galt, California where she attended and graduated from Galt Elementary and Galt High School.

Donna received her MSN at California State University in Sacramento, CA.  She graduated from San Joaquin Delta College and Stanislaus State University and over the years continued with a host of additional medical classes.  She was a registered nurse and holds the designations of MSN, RN, CNOR, and NEA-BC.   She always had a love for nursing and for helping others.  She is very well respected in the medical community and was very good in her care of others.

Donna met her husband, Dr. Norman Label in the Emergency Room at Methodist Hospital in South Sacramento, Ca.  Norman and Donna worked side by side in the emergency room.  Norman had just returned from Vietnam where he had been a flight surgeon.  This was Donna’s first role as an RN.  They fell in love and were married on August 16, 1981 and soon made their home in Nevada City, California.

Donna has three wonderful children.  Alyssa, Joseph and Jacob.  The three children and Norman all praise the role Donna played as wife and mother.  She'd been there for all of them over the years and is the glue that makes them all feel so loved.  She worked very hard to balance her role as a mother, wife and nurse and was always there for her family.  The three of the children and her husband were at Donna’s side the entire time she fought ALS.  Her service dog Butters laid by her side and her other new addition, Sadie, continues to explore and make sure all is safe in the Label household.  

In May of 2018 Donna fell for the first time.  At the time Donna had thought it was because she had new bifocals.  She did not think anything of the fall.  Over time she fell a couple of more times and as a result had to have surgery on both of her feet.   While undergoing rehabilitation for the surgery on both feet, she had attributed her lack of recovery to atrophy and kept working to get back her strength.  Towards the end of February 2019 she and her husband began to question what was holding her recovery back.  The middle of March 2019 she was diagnosed with ALS. The vivacious life that Donna lived changed.  She was no longer a caretaker for others but required the assistance of others in all she did.  

Donna enjoyed traveling and seeing new places.  She enjoyed her family, work, and friends.  She loved nursing and the rewards it personally gave to her to help others.  To quote Donna “I love being a nurse and am very passionate about perioperative nursing. AORN provided me with the tools and resources I needed to make the operating room safe for every patient every time.” She was a very active member of AORN.    She had past experience as officers and board members with the E-Chapter, AORN Leadership Specialty Assembly, and Hospice of the Foothills.  To quote Donna “I have had a good life.”

 Thank you for your love and support.

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