FALL 2012 VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 2 A PUBLICATION OF NJ SHARING NETWORK The Power to Save a Life Skilled surgeons explain how every successful transplant is part miracle CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF SAVING LIVES! WHO WE ARE NJ Sharing Network is a non-profit, federally-designated, organ procurement organization responsible for the recovery of organs and tissue for the nearly 5,000 New Jersey residents currently awaiting transplantation, and is part of the national recovery system, which is in place for the more than 115,000 people on waiting lists. WHAT A SPECIAL AND REWARDING BOARD OF TRUSTEES YEAR 2012 IS PROVING TO BE John J. Halperin, MD Chair While we spent a great deal of time in 2012 celebrating the 25th Anniversary of NJ Sharing Bruce I. Goldstein, Esq. Network, we never took our focus off what we celebrate every day: the lives saved through the Vice Chair selfless act of organ and tissue donation. Vito A. Pulito In this issue of Circle of Life , you can learn more about the great work that has been accom - Treasurer plished over the past year as well as how the process of organ and tissue donation connects people Marc H. Lory for life. Secretary This issue’s cover story reveals what it’s like to be a transplant surgeon, both a demanding and Patrick M. Buddle, MD emotional job, but one that is extremely rewarding (see page 8). Other articles discuss how lives Margaret Dreker can be intertwined forever after letter exchanges occur between a donor family and an organ recip - Edward J. Florio, Esq. ient (see page 13), and how a dynamic duo are paving the way to increase the current low organ Aline M. Holmes, RN and tissue donor registration rates in Hudson County (see page 3). Anthony L. Marchetta Awards were given and won this year. We gave our 25th Anniversary Circle of Life Award to our 54 hospital partners to acknowledge and celebrate years of partnership (see page 6), a teenage Howard A. Nelson girl, who is headed off to college to become a transplant surgeon, was awarded the Benjamin R. Richard G. Popiel, MD Chirls Scholarship to help her dream come true (see page 19), and our team of transplant recipient Timothy J. Touhey athletes won gold, silver and bronze at the Transplant Games (see page 22). As this year comes to a close, we’d like to give thanks to everyone who worked hard to help us achieve our goals. We’d also like to thank the hundreds of organ and tissue donors who selflessly EDITORIAL TEAM provided the gift of life to save and enhance the lives of others, as well as the thousands of others who are currently registered to be organ and tissue donors. Mara Barlow Assistant Director, Marketing and Communications Despite all our great accomplishments this year, there still are approximately 5,000 people on NJ Sharing Network the transplant waiting list in New Jersey. Work still needs to be done to increase the number of reg - Nell Ryan istered organ and tissue donors so that waiting lists can become a thing of the past. Creative Services Coordinator NJ Sharing Network In this time of giving, please think about ways you can help our efforts. If you encourage just Lernard Freeman one new person to register to become an organ or tissue donor, you are making a huge difference. Public Relations Manager NJ Sharing Network Carrie Keating, RN, CCRN, CPTC Transplant Coordinator, Level 3 NJ Sharing Network Romelle Holmgren Lysenko, MSW, LCSW Donor Family Aftercare Coordinator NJ Sharing Network Joseph S. Roth President and Chief Executive Officer CONTRIBUTORS: NJ Sharing Network Erika Desimone Designer/Creative Director Erika Desimone Design Jennifer Brennan Writer JCJ-Communications Cover photo and editorial photography for feature story by Nell Ryan. 2 AUGUST 2010 ABOVE AND BEYOND ADVISORY BOARD Michael Shapiro, MD Chair Transplant Surgeon Representative Loretta Aigner, RN Dynamic Duo Spreads Word About Transplant Center Administrator Representative Gail Clegg Organ Donation in Hudson County Organ and Tissue Donor Family Member Representative Roseann DiBrienza, RN, MS Maryann Rosenberg and Barbara Kuzmin - Public Representative ski, both from Bayonne, are on a life-saving mis - Katherine Kennedy sion and they won’t be stopped. Touched in Voluntary Health Organization Representative different ways by the miracle of organ donation Stuart R. Geffner, MD and transplantation, this dynamic duo has taken Transplant Surgeon Representative up the charge to move the mark on Hudson Michael Gould, MD County’s numbers for registered organ and tissue Emergency Room Personnel Representative donors. Sara E. Jensen, Esq. Public Representative Following the tragic loss of her 20-month old grandson, Jonathon Paul Kuzminski, in May David A. Laskow, MD Transplant Surgeon Representative 2011 and meeting Wyatt J. Fleming, the two year Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith presents Donate Life Bayonne Debra L. Morgan old recipient of Jonathon’s liver, Barbara with a proclamation for National Donate Life Month to Transplant Center Administrator Representative Kuzminski realized she had to do something to Barbara Kuzminski (center) and Maryann Rosenberg (right). Joining the “Dynamic Duo” are NJ Sharing Network's Alyssa Shamkant Mulgaonkar, MD help educate people about the importance of D'Addio and NJ Sharing Network Foundation Board Member Transplant Center Administrator Representative JD de Leon. organ and tissue donation. “Once I saw this little Trish O’Keefe, RN boy and his smile, and knowing he is now three Hospital Administrator Representative years old and in full remission because of my Peter’s College in Jersey City have become mem - Ty J. Olson, MD grandson’s liver, I know this is something I have bers of NJ Sharing Network’s Workplace for Life Neurosurgeon Representative to do,” said Barbara. “To see life come out of a initiative. Future programs have been arranged John S. Radomski, MD tragedy is truly amazing.” that will educate students of St. Peter’s College Transplant Surgeon Representative Maryann Rosenberg has experienced the about organ donation as a means to encourage Prakash Rao, PhD, MBA, FACHE, HCLD other side of the organ donation story numerous registration. Human Histocompatibility Specialist Representative Bruce Stroever times. Several members of her husband’s family And what Maryann and Barbara are doing Tissue Bank Representative -- including her husband, his brother and her hus - is working: the number of people who have Harry Sun, MD band’s aunt -- each became liver recipients over walked into the Bayonne motor vehicle agency Transplant Surgeon Representative the course of one year in 2004. Each was diag - to register as an organ donor has increased by 15 Dorian J. Wilson, MD nosed with a different life-threatening liver dis - percent this year. Transplant Surgeon Representative ease, requiring them to be put on the transplant “What these two women have been able to Mark J. Zucker, MD waiting list. In 2009, Maryann became a volun - do is simply amazing,” said Alyssa D’Addio, ed - Transplant Center Administrator Representative teer for NJ Sharing Network in large part be - ucation and partnerships coordinator at NJ Shar - cause, “My husband had a second chance at life. ing Network. “For years Hudson County has CONTACT INFORMATION If he hadn’t received his liver transplant when he been one of the lowest counties in the state when did, he would not be here spending the time with it comes to the number of registered organ and BY MAIL: NJ Sharing Network me and our four children like he has been able.” tissue donors. If it’s up to the dynamic duo of 691 Central Avenue As co-leaders of Donate Life Bayonne/Jer - Maryann and Barbara, these numbers will con - New Providence, NJ 07974 sey City, Maryann and Barbara are making sig - tinue to rise.” PHONE: 1-800-742-7365/908-516-5400 nificant strides in educating people about the Showing no signs of letting up these two in - FAX: 908-516-5501 importance of organ and tissue donation. These credible women are in it for the long haul. “This www.NJSharingNetwork.org women have been instrumental in securing edu - is something I have to do for the rest of my life,” cational table displays at local stores, libraries, fes - says Barbara. “There is no backing down. Now, I NJ Sharing Network is a member of tivals, health fairs, college campuses and motor have to go full-steam ahead and get the number Community Health Charities of NJ vehicle agencies. The City of Bayonne and St. of registered organ donors raised.” www.NJSharingNetwork.org 3 SHARING NEWS NJ Sharing Network Leadership Invited Media Personality To Speak At National Conferences Spreads Organ ference this year. MTF also presented NJ Shar - Donation ing Network with an award (pictured left) signi - Awareness fying 25 years of working together to enhance the lives of others through tissue transplant. Joe Roth also traveled to Chicago to share winning strategies for building a successful leadership team with members of the organ NJ Sharing Network President and CEO donation and transplant community at the an - Joe Roth and the executive director of the Foun - nual meeting of the Association of Organ dation, Elisse Glennon, along with their Procurement Organizations this past June. colleagues from the Gift of Life Donor Pro - Emphasizing the importance of an organization’s gram, were invited to speak about the power of core values and how leadership must be the first philanthropy in the organ and tissue donation to adopt them, Joe was able to highlight NJ Shar - community at the annual Musculoskeletal ing Network leadership staff successes using this Transplant Foundation (MTF) Leadership Con - approach. Enlightening College Freshmen Minorities account for more than half Eastwick College in Ramsey, NJ has estab - of the individuals on the U.S.