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SPRING 2011 VOLUME 2

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ISSUE 1

A PUBLICATION OF NJ SHARING NETWORK

A PASSION FOR LIFE Donor family finds hope amidst tears of loss

APRIL IS DONATE LIFE MONTH! Promoting awareness and celebrating donors

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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 4,700 New Jersey residents currently awaiting transplantation, and is part of the national recovery system, which is in place for the over 110,000 people on waiting lists.

CONTACT INFORMATION BY MAIL: NJ Sharing Network 691 Central Avenue New Providence, NJ 07974 PHONE: 1-800-SHARE-NJ (1-800-742-7365) 908-516-5400 / FAX: 908-516-5501

www.sharenj.org

GOVERNING BOARD Charles G. Walker Chair Director of Operations, Overlook Hospital

Joseph M. Gorrell, Esq. Vice Chair Brach Eichler, LLC

Margaret Dreker Treasurer Public Member

John J. Halperin, M.D. Secretary Department of Neurosciences, Overlook Hospital

GIVE PEOPLE WAITING FOR ORGANS HOPE DURING DONATE LIFE MONTH Nationally, April is Donate Life Month – the one month out of the year when national leaders and others say, “Pay attention to this cause, this is important.” At NJ Sharing Network, we recognize donate life month every month, every week, every day. It’s what we do, and it is important. That’s because in New Jersey, there are more than 4,700 people waiting for an organ transplant, more than 110,000 nationally. You can help us in our mission to save lives in numerous ways. Whether you choose to volunteer to spread the word about organ and tissue donation or contribute to NJ Sharing Network Foundation, you can make a difference. First and foremost, you can choose to be a donor, by indicating so on your New Jersey driver license when you renew or by registering online (see page 4 for details). Organ and tissue donation makes a difference in the lives of others. For just a few examples on how it impacts those who give and receive, see Alberta and Alyssa D’Addio’s story (pg. 8), Jim Rhatican (pg. 5) and Joey Ianiero (back cover). Three of our employees who are organ recipients also are featured in this issue: Jessica Melore, Morgan Johnson and Jay Arisso Sr. (pg. 11). None of this work would be possible without the partnership between our organization and New Jersey hospitals. See the role our lab plays in the process (pg. 5). In this issue, we’re highlighting the work of one of our many vital hospital partners, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (pgs. 6 and 7). In an ideal world, we wouldn’t need a special month to draw attention to organ and tissue donation, and we wouldn’t have waiting lists. Until then, please help us offer those who are waiting the best we can: hope.

Patrick M. Buddle, M.D. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Jersey Shore University Medical Center

Judith E. Burgis Public Member

Edward J. Florio, Esq. Florio & Kenny, LLP

Bruce I. Goldstein, Esq. Sills Cummis & Gross PC

Joseph S. Roth President and Chief Executive Officer NJ Sharing Network

Aline M. Holmes, R.N. Senior Vice President, Clinical Affairs New Jersey Hospital Association

Richard G. Popiel, M.D. Vice President & Chief Medical Officer Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey

Vito A. Pulito President, Finance GE Healthcare

Steven E. Ross. M.D. Director, Division of Trauma The Cooper Health System

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Mother and daughter advocates, Alberta and Alyssa D’Addio. Learn about their donor family experience with NJ Sharing Network’s Margaret Moore (pictured on cover). Read their heartwarming story on page 8.

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SHARING NEWS

ADVISORY BOARD Michael Shapiro, M.D.

High School Heroes Going Strong, Seeking Student Ambassadors NJ Sharing Network’s High School Heroes (HSH) program has provided outreach and education on organ and tissue donation to more than 13,000 New Jersey high school students since its inception in October 2008. “This year, the program seeks to duplicate that number and provide outreach to 322 public high schools,” said Pierre Embrey, NJ Sharing Network’s High School Outreach Education Manager. In addition, HSH education program will begin outreach to 290 private schools in its 14-county regional area. In efforts to harness the energy and interest of students, HSH education program is continuing to develop its volunteer base of 30-40 student volunteers and providing them with “outreach activity packages” so that they can start student organ and tissue donation clubs. “The main focus is to increase our donor registration,” said Pierre. In addition, some clubs may be involved in fundraising on behalf of NJ Sharing Network Foundation. HSH education program was launched

Board Chair Transplant Surgeon Representative

Mark J. Zucker, M.D. Vice Chair Transplant Center Administrator Representative

David A. Laskow, M.D. Board Secretary Transplant Surgeon Representative

Loretta Aigner, R.N. Transplant Center Administrator Representative

Gail Clegg Organ and Tissue Donor Family Member Representative

Roseann DiBrienza, R.N., M.S. Hospital Administrator Representative

Katherine Gallante Voluntary Health Organization Representative

Stuart R. Geffner, M.D. Transplant Surgeon Representative

Michael Gould, M.D. Emergency Room Personnel Representative

Debra L. Morgan Transplant Center Administrator Representative

NJ Sharing Network’s High School Heroes Organ and Tissue Donation Education Program booth at the NJ Education Association Convention last November.

shortly after passage of the NJ Heroes Act, a state law requiring all public high school students be educated on organ and tissue donation.

Shamkant Mulgaonkar, M.D. Transplant Center Administrator Representative

Trish O’Keefe, R.N. Hospital Administrator Representative

Ty J. Olson, M.D. Neurosurgeon Representative

John S. Radomski, M.D. Transplant Surgeon Representative

Prakash Rao, PhD, MBA, FACHE, HCLD Human Histocompatibility Specialist Representative

Reason to Wrestle

With their coach and assistant coaches’ lives being touched by organ donation (the fathers of all three men have received donated organs), the Nutley High School Wrestling Team has dedicated its season to raising awareness about organ donation. Stephen Searle, once a star athlete at Nutley, is awaiting a kidney transplant. His son, Billy, is the wrestling team’s assistant, and his brother-in-law is Nutley’s athletic director. The team hosted a quad wrestling match in January to raise awareness.

Francis J. Rienzo, MBA General Public Representative

Bruce Stroever Tissue Bank Representative

Harry Sun, M.D. Transplant Surgeon Representative

Spreading the Word On Campus Two Ramapo College students started Donate Life Ramapo, an organ and tissue donation awareness club, on campus. Freshman Jessica Nulman’s father is a liver transplant recipient and senior Alyson Ang’s grandfather is a heart transplant recipient. In addition to spreading the word about donation and recruiting members on campus, the two students plan to participate in NJ Sharing Network’s first Share NJ 5K Walk/Run. For more information about Donate

Life Ramapo, please contact Jessica Nulman, jnulman17@gmail.com or 201-835-0966.

www.sharenj.org

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Common Questions About Organ & Tissue Donation Who can become an organ & tissue donor? Anyone can decide to be a donor. A person’s physical condition, not his or her age, determines the potential for organ and tissue donation and is evaluated on a case-by-case basis at the time of death. Visit your local Motor Vehicle Agency and ask for the donor designation to be added to your driver’s license or ID card and let your family see that you support organ donation. Or visit www.donatelifenj.org to register online.

Which organs can be donated? Currently, someone may be able to donate his or her heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas, and small intestine depending on their age, medical condition and circumstances at the time of death. Many patients who are organ donors may also be candidates for tissue donation.

Is there an age limit for donation? There is no age limit for organ donation. NJ Sharing Network has successfully recovered organs from donors as young as a few days to adults in their 90s. A patient's medical history is more important than the age of the donor. If a patient has a normal functioning organ and is in good health, then organ donation is an option.

How are donated organs allocated? They are allocated on the following criteria: match with donor, medical emergency and time on waiting list. A patient’s age, gender, race, ethnicity or wealth do not affect who receives available organs.

Will my own medical care be compromised if the hospital is aware that I have an organ donor designation on my license? The decision to be an organ donor will in no way affect the level of medical care for a sick or injured person. The team of doctors and nurses involved in treating the patient is not involved with the transplant/recovery team, which is called only after death has occurred.

How to Register to Become an Organ and Tissue Donor Maria Nunn-Ling, Donor Family Member

Please visit www.donatelifenj.org, and click on “Become a Donor”

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Complete the demographic information form and hit submit or click “No thanks, please take me to the online registry”. This brings you to the secure NJ MVC Donate Life NJ registration page.

IMPORTANT AT THIS POINT—Do NOT provide any information.

Click on the USER ID NUMBER REQUEST link to begin registration. Go to “User Authentication” and enter your credentials: zip code, driver’s license number, and social security number and click “continue.” Click on box to register online and click submit. Click on the circle to donate organ and click “continue.” Review this page and click on submit. Print the organ donor confirmation page for your records.

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ABOVE AND BEYOND Retired Teacher, Coach, and Liver Recipient Extols Virtues of Organ and Tissue Donation to Students

“Organ and tissue donation is a gift of love because donor families are showing their love for people they don’t even know,” says Jim Rhatican.

Jim Rhatican was driving by NJ Sharing Network offices in New Providence when he felt compelled to stop in. After explaining that he was a liver transplant recipient, he was invited to return the next day to share his story with staff. That was January 2010. Today, Jim is an enthusiastic volunteer for NJ Sharing Network. He has shared his story more than 40 times, and manned tables at a dozen health fairs – all in an effort to get more people to become organ and tissue donors. A retired Millburn High School English teacher and football coach, Jim was a perfect fit for NJ Sharing Network’s High School Heroes program, created in response to a 2008 state law requiring all public high school students in New Jersey be educated on organ and tissue donation.

“If there was a High School Heroes ambassador award, I would give it to Jim,” said Pierre Embrey, NJ Sharing Network’s High School Outreach Education Manager. Jim speaks out about organ donation, always with his donor in mind, and on behalf of people who are still awaiting transplants. “My wife said, you may never know if you saved a life or not. I probably will never know, but there is always that possibility that someone is alive today because of something I said.” When he’s not busy speaking, he enjoys time with Toni, his wife of 42 years, playing golf and fishing. And he is grateful that he’s able to play soccer or dolls with his grandchildren, something he wasn’t always able to do before his transplant.

LET’S GET CLINICAL NJ Sharing Lab Plays Vital Role in Organ Transplantation In the simplest of terms, NJ Sharing Network’s Transplant Lab does organ match-making and puts the recipient and donor together. The tests performed in the lab help determine how compatible an organ donor and recipient are immunologically. A highly trained staff tests for 12 critical proteins present in all people, looking for the highest of odds for compatibility. The 7,000square-foot New Providence lab operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Lab employees perform antibody, living and deceased donor testing, recipient workups and cross-matching duties around the clock, working in three shifts. “The lab serves as the final arbiter when it comes to green-lighting a transplant,” said Dr. Prakash Rao, NJ Sharing Network’s COO of Laboratory and Scientific Operations and Business Development. What makes the lab top-notch is the staff.

“They’re superb at what they do,” said Dr. Rao, who is proud to lead them. They never lose sight of the fact that with every decision, “you are holding a life in your hands,” he added. Sophisticated testing performed at the lab and other medical technology has helped better inform surgeons performing life-saving or life-enhancing surgery. “What would have been a big problem 10 years ago is not as big of a problem today,” he said. This year, thanks to a grant from the NJ Sharing Network Foundation, the facility will begin conducting research on methods to better characterize the immunological compatibility between recipient and donor, as well as development of new early, non-invasive markers of rejection. “It’s a delight to be able to come to work, inside these walls and make a transplant happen,” he said. “You live for those kinds of days.”

Highly skilled NJ Sharing Network Transplant Lab employees perform important immunological testing, a critical role in organ donation and transplantation.

www.sharenj.org

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Second

Chances

Newark Beth Israel Surpasses 600th Heart Transplant For more than two decades, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center’s (NBIMC) Heart Failure Treatment and Transplantation Program has been at the forefront of therapy. More recently, they’ve been garnering recognition for that work. For two consecutive years, NBIMC has ranked among the Top 50 hospitals on U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Hospitals for Specialty Care in Heart and Heart Surgery, ranking 47th in 2010-2011. It was ranked as the top hospital in New Jersey 2010-11. The heart transplant program remains one of the most active in the country, ranking among the top 10 in the nation by volume for five consecutive years, with long-term survival rates that surpass national benchmarks. A 673-bed regional care, non-profit teaching hospital, NBIMC is an affiliate of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System and an important

For the second consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report ranks Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in its Top 50 hospitals for Heart and Heart Surgery.

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program partner with NJ Sharing Network. Surgeons with NBIMC’s Heart Failure Treatment and Transplant Program have performed more than 600 heart transplants on patients ranging in age from 15 to 73 since the program was started in 1989. “Our mission at NJ Sharing Network is to give people another chance at life through donation, and when our hospital partners believe in our mission, it makes the donation process easier. Newark Beth Israel Medical Center believes in people having another opportunity at life,” said Morgan R. Johnson, Hospital Services Manager, who works closely with medical staff at NBIMC and other hospitals, educating them about organ donation. NBIMC staff is indeed committed to saving lives and supporting NJ Sharing Network’s mission, participating in health fairs, and other events.

Patricia Dimitriou, Nursing Director of the Cardiothoracic ICU and Coronary Care Unit, said there’s still room to educate the public about organ donation. She is leading a team in NJ Sharing Network’s inaugural 5K Walk/Run on June 12 to help raise funds and awareness. “People have reluctance about donation. It’s important to dispel any myths and get the word out there that great things can come out of something bad.” In her role as nursing director, Patricia manages the nurses who see both ends of the transplant spectrum, she said, adding “the heroes in all of this are the nursing staff. Not only do we see patients get organs, but we see patients donate organs. Usually, families come to a decision to donate under very tragic circumstances. It’s all handled very well and very compassionately.” Patricia has kind words for NJ Sharing

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“We simply don’t believe in

the word ‘can’t’.” -Dr. Mark Zucker

Mark J. Zucker, MD, has 25 years experience in the field of heart transplantation. Under his leadership, the Heart Failure Treatment and Transplant Program at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center has performed 600 transplants and emerged as one of the nation’s most respected heart transplant and ventricular assist device (VAD) centers. Dr. Zucker will receive the Edward J. Ill Physician's Award. The award is presented to a New Jersey physician who merits recognition for distinguished service as a leader in the medical profession and in the community.

Network employees who interact with NBIMC’s patients and medical professionals. And Morgan agrees with Patricia’s assessment regarding the nurses: “I don’t know what we would do without the compassion and expertise of the nursing staff—they are the ones that help make donation happen.” Although Patricia has worked in this specialty for more than 20 years, she still finds the wonder in transplantation. “I’m still in awe every time we do a heart transplant,” she said. “The whole thing is just amazing.”

Heart recipient Bob Herron was transplanted at Newark Beth Israel in 1998. He has volunteered for both NJ Sharing Network and the Hearty Hearts for 13 years.

Dr. Mark Zucker, cardiologist and Director of the Heart Failure Treatment and Transplant Program, credits his staff, including surgeons Dr. Margarita Camacho and Dr. Sinan A. Simsir and cardiology colleague Dr. David A. Baran, with the remarkable work being performed at NBIMC. “This team is second to none,” he said. “They are totally committed to the patients, program and the hospital. We simply don’t believe in the word ‘can’t’.” “The most rewarding part of my job is taking critically ill patients and restoring them to normal, functional lives,” Dr. Zucker said, adding, “If you think about it, it’s very unusual to be able to transition someone from living with a terminal illness to becoming a normal healthy individual once again.” NBIMC’s multidisciplinary heart transplant team includes cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, transplant coordinators, ventricular assist device (VAD) coordinators, a transplant pharmacist, registered dietitian and social workers. This highly specialized team performed 52 heart transplants in 2010 and has performed more than one transplant per week for the past 14 months, Dr. Zucker said. NBIMC considers its heart patients part of its big family. Every year, it hosts a party for its patients and an annual Heart and Sole walk in memory of Mary Anne Ahearn, a 1990 heart transplant recipient, who died 12 years after her surgery. Also in 1999, the Society of Hearty

Hearts, a support group for heart transplant patients, was created. Vicki K. Eze-Hunter knows first hand about the success of NBIMC’s heart program and the Hearty Hearts. A heart recipient, she serves as president of the volunteer group, which offers support to heart and lung transplant patients and their families. After some members visited with her, Vicki said she felt better about undergoing her heart surgery in 1999. She remembers thinking, “They each got a transplant. Okay, they did this, I can handle this.” Today, Vicki is also an active volunteer with NJ Sharing Network, bringing the partnership with NBIMC full circle. It takes coordination, cooperation and commitment to make transplantation possible, so everyone – whether professional or volunteer – plays an important role, said Morgan. “Our partnership is the lifeline that gives them the ‘gift of life’.”

Creating a Lifeline for Others Vicki K. Eze-Hunter received a heart transplant at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center the day before Valentine’s Day 1999. Since that time, the mother of two has stayed busy as a volunteer and champion of organ and tissue donation. She considers the family of her donor a part of her extended family.

To see more pictures from our events, please visit our event section at sharenj.org.

www.sharenj.org

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Solace and

Salvation

Donor Family Finds Comfort, Cause and Friendship in NJ Sharing Network Alberta D’Addio met Margaret Moore on the most tragic day of her life. Yet, out of this misfortune, or maybe because of it, an enduring friendship was born. It was the day after Easter 2009. One second, the always active, youthful, handsome, known-as-a-perfectionist Joe was sitting across from Alberta enjoying his favorite dinner at their Stirling home. The next, he complained of a tremendous headache and dizziness and collapsed in his wife’s arms. “I knew it was bad,” she recalled. Alberta called 911. Within minutes, paramedics intubated Joe before rushing him to Overlook Hospital in Summit. Concerned loved ones, including their 20year-old daughter Alyssa, quickly gathered in the ER, where they were told that the prognosis was grim. Alberta’s childhood sweetheart and husband of 26 years was lying in a hospital bed after suffering a cerebral brain hemorrhage from which he would never recover. Over the next 72 hours, more than 100 family members, friends, and players he had coached in softball, basketball or baseball stopped by to see the beloved Joe. Margaret, too, was a constant presence. After spending three days at Joe’s bedside in ICU, the D’Addio family made the very difficult decision to remove him from artificial support. Surrounded by family and close friends, he passed away within the hour. He was only 50 years old.

Understanding Grief As is the case in these situations, it is Mar-

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garet’s role to observe, assess and, when the time is right, broach the delicate subject of organ and tissue donation with families in the depths of heartbreak. As one of more than a dozen Transplant Coordinators for NJ Sharing Network, Margaret serves as liaison between the medical staff, transplant recipients and donor family members. She and her colleagues in Family Support, who have the honor of working with donor

“I felt better knowing that our

Joe would be alive in others” -Alberta D’Addio, wife of organ and tissue donor families, are at once: part counselor, part medical professional, and all heart. To best serve donor families, they must be aware of where each individual family member is in the grieving process. “To understand that helps me to help the family,” Margaret said. “Most important is to be understanding and compassionate.”

Amidst Tragedy and Tears In their hours of need, Margaret “became a part of our family,” said Alyssa. “She was mourning with us.”

Alberta remembers that it was about 2 a.m. when Margaret sat with her and those closest to Joe and explained the role of NJ Sharing Network and asked if they would consider organ and tissue donation. Like many families, the D’Addios had never discussed the topic. But Alberta knew her husband and was certain that he would have wanted to help others in death, just as he had always done in life. In the midst of tragedy and tears, organ donation offered a renewed hope for the D’Addios. That decision, they found, brought them peace. “I felt better knowing that our Joe would be alive in others,” Alberta said. Margaret, in particular, became a beacon for the family during the three days in ICU. “She was a bright light that would make my day more tolerable,” Alberta said. “She was our angel,” added Alyssa. “In our darkest hours, she made it better.”

Highest Honors For her part, Margaret recalled holding Alberta’s hand and sometimes simply saying nothing at all. A former ICU nurse, Margaret considers her profession at NJ Sharing Network “a calling.” “I love what I do,” she said. “I don’t see myself doing anything else.” Despite dealing with an overwhelming amount of trauma and tragedy, Margaret approaches each situation with tremendous respect. “I consider it a great honor and privilege (continued on pg. 10)

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Alberta D’Addio found comfort and a cause to support at NJ Sharing Network and Foundation.

www.sharenj.org

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Solace and Salvation (continued from pg. 9) for a family to allow me to offer the option of organ and tissue donation during what is a personally tragic time,” she said. Margaret serves all families with whom she interacts with the same caring and compassion, considering them a part of the larger NJ Sharing Network family.

Lasting Tributes Joe D’Addio

Grateful Remembrance Joe D’Addio’s organ and tissue donation helped more than 70 people. This letter from an unnamed kidney recipient was sent to the D’Addio family through NJ Sharing Network: Dear Donor Family, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the gift you have given me by donating your loved one’s kidney. This is a bittersweet time for me and my family as we reflect on the extraordinary second chance I’ve been given, but also are reminded of the loss you are mourning. Please find comfort in knowing that I do not and will never take your precious gift for granted. This organ transplant has drastically improved my quality of life, and I am now looking forward to many years with my son and future grandchildren. Not a single day goes by that I don't consider the extraordinary selflessness shown by your family. I am humbled by your loved one’s decision to donate his organs and will be forever reminded of this gift of life that I’ve been given.

The D’Addios say Margaret and NJ Sharing Network were – and continue to be – there for them. “I don’t know what we would have done without NJ Sharing Network’s support,” said Alyssa. Within months after Joe’s death, Alyssa organized a now annual softball tournament at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where she’s a student, in memory of her father, with the proceeds benefitting NJ Sharing Network Foundation. On the one-year anniversary of his death, the D’Addios honored Joe by celebrating his life with a cocktail reception featuring photos of him and his favorite tunes. A fundraiser for the Foundation, it was attended by more than 150 people. Of course, Margaret was among the attendees.

Passionate About Life A mutual respect, admiration and commitment to the mission of saving lives has made for an uncommon, yet lasting friendship between the D’Addio women and Margaret – and for an ongoing dedication to NJ Sharing Network and Foundation. Today, Alberta and Alyssa pour their hearts and souls into volunteering and interning with NJ Sharing Network and Foundation, spurred by their desire to help families who are awaiting organ and tissue donations and to support other donor families who have

Donor Families Appreciate Aftercare

Family and friends of donor Joseph D’Addio at the Celebration of Life and Remembrance event last summer in which NJ Sharing Network honors our donor families and dedicated volunteers. Both Alyssa D’Addio (center) and her mother, Alberta (right) have volunteered their time helping to raise critical funds and awareness for the NJ Sharing Network Foundation.

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also lost loved ones. Alyssa serves as an intern during summer and winter breaks from her studies in psychology and business. She also assists with the organization’s College Outreach Initiative, often speaking to young people about her experience and encouraging them to register as potential donors. “I’m doing it for myself and for others my age who may endure a loss at such a young age,” said Alyssa, now 22. “It’s good for people to hear my story, but it’s also healing for me.” Alberta, 52, likes working behind the

“In light of their loss, they provide such positive energy and the love of life.” -Margaret Moore, NJ Sharing Network Transplant Coordinator scenes. A former executive assistant at ScheringPlough for 28 years, she now assists NJ Sharing Network. She also is a member of NJ Sharing Network Foundation’s Board of Trustees, serving on the planning committee, and assisting in ongoing philanthropic efforts. The dedication and enthusiasm of the D’Addio women is appreciated by their extended NJ Sharing Network family. “In light of their loss, they provide such positive energy and the love of life. You can see the passion in what they do,” said Margaret. That would indeed have made Joe D’Addio proud. “He would always ask me, ‘What are you going to be passionate about?’” Alyssa recalled. “The tragedy of his passing and giving other people a new chance at life, this is what I’m passionate about. He gave me this gift.”

“It was very uplifting to learn how much my dear son's donation has helped others. It was a comfort to know my son was not just a donor, but was respected as a person.” “The staff support and understanding regarding the importance of my daughter's life and my wishes for her afterlife were positive and most kind.’’

A survey sent to donor families after their loved one’s donation in early 2009 revealed that, like the D’Addios, the majority felt positive and comforted by their decision to donate.

“Our experience was above and beyond our expectations. Thank you.”

Donor families expressed satisfaction with the compassion and respect by NJ Sharing Network Aftercare staff. Some comments from donor families are at right.

“The letters from recipients are verification that donation was the right choice. I received a letter from a woman who received my husband's ACL (she tore hers skiing). Skiing was my husband's favorite sport. What a coincidence.”

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life

SOCIAL RWJ Center Event Features Morgan Johnson

NJ Sharing Network’s Hospital Services Manager Morgan R. Johnson, a kidney recipient, was among several speakers at a seminar held at the Robert Wood Johnson Hamilton Center for Health & Wellness. Morgan (left) and her kidney donor Kellye Miller (right) shared their story with an audience that had gathered to learn more about religious and cultural views on organ and tissue donation. The event, held just after National Donor Sabbath, was sponsored by the RWJ Hamilton’s pastoral care department and ethics committee and NJ Sharing Network. The two ladies believe that their faith and God had a hand in arranging their meeting while both were Kean University students and ultimately, in the transplantation. The two enjoy a special friendship and regularly share their story of organ donation on behalf of NJ Sharing Network.

Blood Drive Held On January 6th, 2011 NJ Sharing Network hosted a blood drive at our headquarters for community and staff members. The blood drive was a result of a recent partnership between NJ Sharing Network and NY blood donor services.

An Insider’s Perspective Jay Arisso Sr. (pictured above) never would have guessed just how handy his experience as a Family Support Coordinator at NJ Sharing Network would be—until that fateful day in August when he was diagnosed with kidney failure and told he would require a transplant. As someone who counsels families through the donation and transplantation process, he was well equipped to deal with the circumstances. He knew exactly what to ask of doctors at Saint Barnabas in Livingston. Jay Sr., whose son Jay Jr., also works as a NJ Sharing Network Family Support Coordinator, received the kidney of his youngest son Joel, 25. The Arisso children, including daughter Karina Guardarrama, were all compatible matches and decided secretly among themselves who would donate a kidney to their father. A chaplain for more than 30 years, he had no shortage of offers, having received more than a dozen between family members and his La Iglesia de Hoy church family. After recovering from his December 28th surgery, Jay Sr. was eager to once again work with donor families. “I have more of an understanding of what they’re going through,” he said.

Grateful for a Rose-Colored Future NJ Sharing Network’s Jessica Melore (far left), a heart recipient, ended one year and started the next with two momentous events. In December, she met the family of her donor, Shannon Eckert, and on New Year’s Day, she honored her donor by riding on the Donate Life Float in the 123rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, where Shannon was among 60 donors whose floral portraits or “floragraphs” were featured on the award-winning “Seize the Day”-themed float. “Seeing the way the crowds connected with our message of hope was so touching,” said Jessica, Senior Programs and Education Manager at NJ Sharing Network. “It was such a special experience to meet so many inspiring people who had been touched by donation, and a powerful way to spread the importance about registering to be an organ and tissue donor.” www.sharenj.org

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DATION NEWS • FOUNDATION NEWS • FO Sharing Dear Friends of NJ Sharing Network,

Foundation

It’s my one-year anniversary at NJ Sharing Network Foundation—and what a wonderful first year it’s been! We’ve been blessed with an incredible outpouring of support for our first 5K. Thank you to Pfizer our presenting sponsor, and to our other sponsors. We are pleased to acknowledge the contributions of so many. You will find more information about where and how your support helps us in our mission on page 17.

SUPPORT OUR MISSION NJ Sharing Network Foundation generates philanthropic support for the various programs of NJ Sharing Network. Your support can help increase the number of lives saved through organ and tissue donation. Please make a contribution today at www.njsharingnetworkfoundation.org

FOUNDATION BOARD

We continue to find ways to honor the donors who have given the ultimate sacrifice to save or enrich the lives of others and to strengthen our bonds with donor families. To acknowledge contributors and organ and tissue donors, we have commissioned an artistic work, which we will unveil at our New Providence office later this year. Stay tuned for details!

Donna Albanese, Chairperson Dairy Queen of Plainfield Resident of Scotch Plains

Our board is committed to making this year one of our best ever. I’d like to welcome Derlys M. Gutierrez of Montclair, the newest member of our board. With our dedicated staff, board, volunteers and you, our supporters, we will continue NJ Sharing Network’s efforts to increase the number of lives saved through donor registration, education and research.

Marla Bace Brinton Eaton Resident of Berkeley Heights

Phyllis A. Caputo, RN Resident of Fairfield

Alberta D’Addio Resident of Watchung

J.D. de Leon Resident of Jersey City

Elisse E. Glennon Executive Director

Phyllis L. Elin Atlantic, Tomorrow’s Office Resident of Morristown

Derlys M. Gutierrez, Esq. Adams Stern Gutierrez & Lattiboudere, LLC Resident of Montclair

Philip S. Kolm Investors Savings Bank Commercial Banking Group Resident of Fort Lee

Foundation Helps Establish Research Program Got Yarn?

Thomas Ludlum, Esq. City of Paterson Law Department Ludlum Law Offices Resident of Glen Rock

Marisa Patawaran-Tonnesen Impact Wealth Advisory Group, LLC Resident of Randolph

Anthony E. Pizzutillo Smith Pizzutillo LLC Resident of Lawrenceville

Stephen Priolo NJN Public Television & Radio Resident of Voorhees

Mark E. Reagan Marsh, Inc., Global Construction Practice Resident of Basking Ridge

Bernard Simon Resident of Edison

Myles Varley Personal Resource Management Associates, Inc. Resident of Mount Olive Township

Ex-Officio Members: Joseph Roth

Barry Newman

President and CEO NJ Sharing Network

Chief Financial Officer NJ Sharing Network

Elisse Glennon Executive Director NJ Sharing Network Foundation 908-516-5614 • eglennon@sharenj.org

2011 Grants Fund Medical Projects and New Services

Volunteer Knitters Sought for “Wrapped in Love” program

NJ Sharing Network Foundation funded two important medical projects for 2011 through grants. The first is to help create a research arm of NJ Sharing Network’s Transplant Laboratory. A study in the molecular immunology of clinical organ transplantation represents the first effort toward establishing a state of the art research program at NJ Sharing Network. Also, a web-based self-learning module on organ and tissue donation for New Jersey physicians is being developed to increase awareness of the physician’s vital role in the donation process.

The family of William Sharrow displays a beautiful shawl handmade and provided by Patricia Gagliano whose 16-year-old daughter, Heather, was an organ donor. This thoughtful gesture was the catalyst for NJ Sharing Network’s new shawl project, Wrapped in Love. Made possible through a grant from NJ Sharing Network Foundation, Wrapped in Love is seeking volunteers to knit or crochet shawls to be given to donor families as an expression of compassion at their time of loss. To sign up as a volunteer, please contact Romelle Lysenko at RLysenko@sharenj.org or 908-516-5411.

DATION NEWS • FOUNDATION NEWS • FO 12

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OUNDATION NEWS • FOUNDATION NEWS You Can Make a Life-Saving Difference At NJ Sharing Network Foundation, we believe that no one should die waiting for a lifesaving transplant. That’s why we support and promote the donation of organs and tissue for transplantation, therapy and education. With the goal of closing the gap between the more than 4,700 New Jersey residents waiting for a life-saving transplant and the number of organs available, every dollar matters. There are numerous ways to show your support for NJ Sharing Network and Foundation. Please consider the following:

NJ Sharing Network Foundation’s Inaugural 5K Walk/Run

SUNDAY, JUNE 12, 2011 691 Central Ave. New Providence, NJ

· 5K Walk/Run USTF Certified Course

· One-mile Fun Run · Sprout Sprint (for 3-year-olds and under)

• Participate in our upcoming 5K Walk/Run • Buy an “Organ Donors Save Lives” license plate at your local Motor Vehicle Agency • Make a tax-deductible donation by filling out and mailing your check in the envelope included in this issue or by visiting njsharingnetworkfoundation.org • Enroll in an employee payroll donation program and designate NJ Sharing Network Foundation as your charity of choice • Request a matching gift from your employer • Remember us in your will with a bequest and let us know by calling 908-516-5695. • Host a fund-raising event on behalf of NJSNF. Call 908-516-5429. • Volunteer as a Donate Life Ambassador. Call 908-516-5695. (see page 15) • Register to be an Organ and Tissue Donor. Only 30 percent of New Jersey drivers are designated donors, well below the national goal of 50 percent. So above all, please be sure to register as a donor online at www.sharenj.org or designate organ and tissue donation when you first get your driver license and each time you renew.

It is our hope that you will join us as we walk and run

in honor of those who gave, on behalf of those who received, and with hope for those who continue to wait. Get your family, friends, high school, college, hospital or company to form and enter a team.

Presented by

Hosted by

REGISTER NOW! www.ShareNJ5K.org

OUNDATION NEWS • FOUNDATION NEWS njsharingnetworkfoundation.org

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DATION NEWS • FOUNDATION NEWS • FO

DONATION

matters

Helping a Big Cause = Tickets to the Big Game Alex Trani of Lodi and his fiancé Dawn Sobas were presented with two Super Bowl XLV tickets after Alex was declared the official “Big Game Package” winner in a special drawing held in January, as part of a new Text Giving Campaign launched by NJ Sharing Network Foundation. To enter, contestants texted the word “SHARE” along with a financial pledge to the Foundation. The contest was promoted via radio public service announcements (courtesy of Clear Channel) and during the NJ Nets and Devils games on December 1 and 2; NJ Sharing Network staff and volunteers were on hand to spread the word about organ and tissue donation. A special thank you to Everson Walls of the Ron Springs & Everson Walls Gift for Life Foundation, PNC Wealth Management, Chris Keneally of Northwestern Mutual, and Liz McFadden for their help, and to Continental Airlines and Radisson Hotel Central Dallas for providing our winners with air and travel accommodations.

Rockin’ Out for NJ Sharing Network Foundation The Mary Ellen Attiya Memorial Concert was held January 16 in Bayville. Jay Attiya organized the event in honor of his late wife, who died in August 2010 and left a legacy through tissue donation. Seven bands and many businesses contributed to the concert, which benefited NJ Sharing Network Foundation and its education efforts about the life-saving and life-enhancing benefits of organ and tissue donation. During the event, one band member, who was previously unaware of the concert’s purpose, was moved and shared that his father was doing well after a kidney transplant. Many thanks to our volunteers who helped register interested attendees at the event.

DATION NEWS • FOUNDATION NEWS • FO 14

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OUNDATION NEWS • FOUNDATION NEWS National Ceremony and Workshop Available to Donor Families

Every two years, the Federal government hosts the National Donor Recognition Ceremony and Workshop (NDRCW) in Washington, DC. Taking place the weekend of July 15-17, 2011, this program will include educational workshops and sharing sessions for donor families and the National Donor Recognition Ceremony where donors from across the United States are honored. There is no charge for this event which is open to all donor families.

The NDRCW is an opportunity for donor families to meet other families from across the country that made the decision to donate life. From sharing the story of their loved one to meeting others who have experienced a similar loss, many donor families find the event to be a healing and inspiring weekend that they will never forget. This year, NJ Sharing Network Foundation will sponsor two donor families. To apply, write to NJ Sharing Network, 691 Central Avenue, New Providence, NJ 07094, attention Family Aftercare, or familyaftercare@sharenj.org. Hotel and travel will be provided. All applications must be received by May 2, 2011. For more information, please visit either www.donorfamily.org or www.organdonor.gov. You may also contact Mary Ellen McGlynn at 908-516-5642.

Establishing a Volunteer Task Force With only 30% of New Jersey residents registered as organ and tissue donors, NJ Sharing Network is embarking on an initiative designed to bring local communities together to save lives. The “Act Local: Save Lives!” campaign will create task forces within each of the 14 counties in NJ Sharing Network’s service area. Each task force will gather volunteers and community leaders from local businesses, hospitals, school districts, municipalities, and houses of worship to develop a targeted plan to engage local residents and encourage them to register as donors online or at their local Motor Vehicle Agency. The hope is that by making local connections and taking action through integrative efforts, New Jersey will be able to reach the nationwide goal of 50% registered donors. If you are interested in participating, contact Senior Education & Programs Manager Jessica Melore at jmelore@sharenj.org or 908-516-5688.

National Volunteer Week Offers Opportunity to Join Us as a Donate Life Ambassador We would be at a loss without the many dedicated volunteers who help us by communicating the life-saving benefits of organ and tissue donation. There’s always room for more Donate Life Ambassadors, particularly in our 14-county service area. What better time than National Volunteer Week, April 10 – 16, to sign up. We will provide you with the necessary training. Below are some of the various ways to help. Please consider joining us. Hospital Professional Speakers share their personal transplantation experience with hospital staff and other medical professionals for educational purposes. High School Heroes share their personal experience with transplantation with students and faculty, express the importance of registering to become an organ donor upon turning 18 and sharing their decisions with their family, and encourage the formation of Donate Life Clubs.

MVC Liaisons staff table displays at local MVA’s and share the importance of registering to become an organ donor when the public comes to receive or renew a NJ driver license or state ID. Legacy of Heroes Volunteers work with local police stations, rescue squads and fire stations to forge relationships and gain organ and tissue donation awareness and support and participate in awareness activities. Heritage Volunteers support organ and tissue donation and work to gain organ and tissue donation awareness and support in minority communities through a variety of events and initiatives. College Outreach Ambassadors work with the College Outreach Initiative in hosting table displays, sharing their transplant experience story, and help out at events among various NJ colleges and universities.

Social Media Ambassadors help spread awareness of events, share stories, and encourage support of others among NJ Sharing Network’s Facebook and Twitter social media contacts. In addition, volunteers are needed to assist with third-party and large events, workplace campaigns, places of worship, as well as to help with office duties at our New Providence office. To learn more, please visit www.sharenj.org.

OUNDATION NEWS • FOUNDATION NEWS njsharingnetworkfoundation.org

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2010 – A YEAR IN REVIEW 2010 HIGHLIGHTS AND FAST FACTS

2010 NJ ORGAN AND TISSUE DONORS BY HOSPITAL Organ

155

Organ donors

52

Hospitals participated by referring an organ and/or tissue donor

73% Donation Rate for organ donors 537

Transplants performed at NJ centers

4,700 NJ residents awaiting transplant 168

Bone Donors

371

Skin Donors

599

Eye Donors

FAST FACT #1: There are 92.7 million registered organ and tissue donors nationwide, or 39.5% of the 18+ population (as of October 2010) FAST FACT #2: NJ is ranked 40 out of 51 states with only 30.6% of the 18+ population registered. FAST FACT #3: Nationwide, 18 people die each day awaiting a life-saving transplant.

NEW JERSEY ORGAN DONORS BY AGE 0-49 years 50-64 years 65 + years

16

SPRING 2011

Bone

University Robert Wood Johnson Morristown Cooper Overlook St. Joseph’s Jersey City Capital Health Regional Jersey Shore JFK Community Hackensack Hunterdon Newark Beth Israel Raritan Bay Perth Amboy Capital Health Mercer Chilton Clara Maas Rahway Riverview Somerset Saint Barnbas St. Francis Trinitas Valley Bayshore Ocean Centrastate Christ St. Clare’s Dover East Orange Hoboken Holy Name Monmouth Mountainside Newton Princeton

7%

36% 57%

18 14 12 11 10 10 8 7 7 6 5 4 4 4 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Morristown Community Cooper St. Joseph’s St. Clare’s Dover St. Clare’s Sussex Chilton Hackensack Hamilton Hunterdon Jersey Shore Lourdes Overlook Trinitas University Ocean Centrastate Clara Maas JFK Kimball St. Clare's Denville Valley Bayshore Jersey City Newark Beth Israel Newton Raritan Bay Perth Amboy Robert Wood Johnson Capital Health Mercer Hackettstown Holy Name Monmouth Palisades Rahway Riverview Somerset Camden M.E. Capital Health Regional East Orange Englewood Princeton Regional M.E. Saint Barnabas St. Francis St. Michael's St. Peter's

Skin 13 11 8 7 6 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Community Robert Wood Johnson Jersey Shore Morristown Overlook St. Joseph’s Cooper Valley JFK Trinitas Ocean Capital Health Regional Clara Maas St. Clare’s Dover Chilton Hackensack Jersey City University Centrastate Hunterdon Riverview Lourdes St. Mary's Passaic St. Clare’s Sussex Bayshore Hamilton Holy Name Rahway Somerset St. Clare's Denville East Orange Englewood Kimball Monmouth Newton St. Francis Hackettstown Hoboken Mountainside Newark Beth Israel Raritan Bay Perth Amboy Saint Barnabas Capital Health Mercer Christ Meadowlands Palisades St. Michael's Camden M.E. Kimball Specialized Morris M.E. Non-Hospital Princeton Raritan Bay Old Bridge Regional M.E. St. Peter's Warren

28 19 16 16 15 14 13 13 11 11 10 10 10 10 9 9 9 9 8 8 8 7 7 7 6 6 6 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

17

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NJ REGISTERED ORGAN AND TISSUE DONORS BY COUNTY County

# Registrants

ATLANTIC BERGEN BURLINGTON CAMDEN CAPEMAY CUMBERLAND ESSEX GLOUCESTER HUDSON HUNTERDON MERCER MIDDLESEX MONMOUTH MORRIS OCEAN PASSAIC SALEM SOMERSET SUSSEX UNION WARREN OTHER TOTAL

Total County License/ ID Card Holders

76,862 206,718 136,930 144,743 34,746 32,061 134,310 89,114 107,412 47,123 91,110 165,285 175,205 153,730 147,137 89,495 20,671 88,465 51,250 105,822 35,823 25,667 2,159,679

218,448 748,132 370,241 408,827 86,253 112,048 569,279 234,417 463,281 110,100 290,807 649,986 524,970 405,302 463,303 369,369 55,384 263,840 127,933 407,092 95,649 87,713 7,062,374

2010 FOUNDATION REVENUE SOURCES Contributions and Grants

% of County License/ ID Card holders 35.18% 27.63% 36.98% 35.40% 40.28% 28.61% 23.59% 38.01% 23.18% 42.80% 31.33% 25.42% 33.37% 37.92% 31.75% 24.22% 37.32% 33.52% 40.06% 25.99% 37.45% 29.26% 30.58% AVG.

7%

8%

14%

9%

We rely on contributions to continue to fund projects like the ones below. Please visit www.njsharingnetworkfoundation.org to make a financial contribution. Thank you for your generosity. NJ Sharing Network Foundation (NJSNF) is committed to supporting the work of NJ Sharing Network and to increasing the number of lives saved through education and awareness activities about the life-saving benefits of transplantation, through research and donor family support. Grants are awarded in honor of those who gave, on behalf of those who received, and with hope for the 4,700 in New Jersey who continue to wait. These grants (see graphs below) were awarded in 2010: Education and Awareness: hospital unit education and physician education, High School Heroes, netbook computers for donor registrations at community events. Research: a multi-year laboratory research program in molecular immunology of clinical organ transplantation. Donor Family Support: hospital-based donor memorials, memorial tribute book, “Wrapped in Love” shawls for donor families. The figures illustrated in these graphs are not audited. For a copy of the most recent Sharing Network Foundation, Inc. audit, please call 908-516-5400.

2010 FOUNDATION GRANTS AWARDED

17%

Education and Awareness

NJSNF Special Events In Honor/In Memory of

NJ SHARING NETWORK FOUNDATION STATISTICS

45%

Research 62%

Donor Family Support

38%

Bequests Events on Behalf of NJSNF

THE DONOR GAP CONTINUES While the chart below reflects patients awaiting transplants at NJ centers, an even greater number—currently over 4,700—of New Jersey residents are still waiting for an organ transplant (some may be listed at centers outside of NJ) 3,500 3,000

NJ Transplants

2,500

Donors

2,000

Patients awaiting transplantation

1,500 1,000 500 0

19

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

www.sharenj.org

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THOMAS H. RAYMOND S. DAVID W. MILENE M. JOSE M. KIM F. JEROME T. VEENA T. LANCE O. NEVAEH V. KURT P. TERRY F. LOIS B. MELVIN H. DIANE K. STEPHEN V. JEANETTE B. GEORGE Y. JAMES G. SHERREL F. JOHN G. BOGDAN M. JERRY M. EDWIN G. DALLAS H. DONALD H. SALLY L. MELISSA O. CHARLES D. MICHAEL P.

MARCUS H. GREGORY B. JOHN C. BETTYJEAN D. ANNA M. WYNNIE L. HELEN W. ESTHER Y. JEFFREY G. HEATHER B. LAURA V. ROBERT G. RODNEY C. PAUL Z. JEFFREY L. STEPHEN S. WILLIAM G. THOMAS P. ALISON B. SUSEN K. CHRISTINE I. KENNETH G. KIMBERLY B. ISMAELINA R. JOHN C. CARL O. BERNADETTE M. PAUL S. ALAN W. EDWARD B.

ROBIN B. HENK V. ROBERT B. BRIAN M. JOHN S. RICHARD R. DALE T. FREDERICK R. ELAINE V. FRANCISCO C. ALEILTO S. JAMES B. LENARD S. GERALD A. MATTHEW E. ADAM S. RYSZARD B. JOSEPH S. NANCY C. KATHLEEN H. MILTON J. JOSEPH A. JOSEPH B. ROSEANNE L. CAROL B. JAMES P. BRENDA R. EDWARD D. ANTOINETTE R. CHRISTOPHER F.

RICHARD H. MORRISON M. CHARLES W BRENDA H. RONALD T. THOMAS W. ELIJAH C. GONZALO O. PAUL L. JOSEPH V. HADID P. FRANCES C. CLAUDE W. PAUL G. TERESA S. RUSSELL P. THOMAS B. MARY ELLEN E. KEITH H. DONALD NEIL L. MARY ANNE B. THOMAS M. JOSEPH S. STEVEN W. LEROY B. VICTORIA J. MARTHA E. MATTHEW K. JOAN G. EDWARD B.

ESSIE P. HUBBERT G. TERESA R. MARIA C. DENNIS B. JACQUELINE W. BARBARA H. KENNETH R. EDUNIOS M. DAWN P. REBECCA L. MELISSA K. ALBERT W. SUSAN B. SULACHHANI T. RICHARD R. JANE H. WILLIAM G. CHRISTOPHER M. FRANCES B. ROGER S. ALFONSO S. OLGA D. PUNITABEN S. JOAN K. JEAN M. AUGUSTINE R. ROBERT R. CAROL N. KIM S.

ALEX J. CAROLINE R. ERVIN S. RONALD F. MIN P. VIRGINIA M. EDWARD L. JEAN L. GILBERT S. ROJEAN B. WILLIAM H. CONSTANTINE P. JEROME S. LYNN P. WILLIAM G. DEBRA F. NYLE P. JOHN T. LINDA P. ROBERT A. ROSEMARY C. EDWIN H. JOSE O. JOSEPH C. RICHARD H. STANLEY Y. TIMOTHY T. ALEXANDER Z. ROSE T. KELLYANNE G.

ANDREW M. MARIA S. ROGER D. MARC C. CARL Z. JORGE V. GLENN F. TEODORO B. SHIRLEY M. MICHAEL G. GLADYS S. ROBERT H. RAMA G. DIANE F. GAYLE L. CLYDE L. OSVALVO G. RYAN K. MITCHELL F. ROMEO V. WILLIAM R. JAMES P. LESZEK Z. TARYN H. CHARLES C. EVE M. DAVID M. CAROLE D. ROBERT G. ENEIDA D.

THEY GAVE

With Everlasting Gratitude to all of our 2010

FINIS C. JOE P. EUGENE M. AJIA W. PETER M. LEONA H. KENNETH H. EDWARD K. JOHN G. CARL A. ROBERT T. JUDITH R. KASSIEPERSAD S. KEONA B. ENA L. NATASHA D. WILLIAM B. FREDERICK O. EVELYN L. GERARD T. JAMES D. JACK A. ISIDRO R. GARY L. JOHN W. PHILIP C. BETH Z. EDWARD L. ROSINA P. NATUBHAI D.

18

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THOMAS A. ALEX B. VERA N. ANTHONY S. GEORGE A. IAN T. ALEXIS B. THOMAS H. ANTHONY M. CURTIS J. JULIE F. HILDA V. MORIA C. ANTHONY L. JOSEPH B. CHARLES E. DIANA S. GUADALUPE N. BEYONCE B. IAN M. JESSIE B. WAYNE S. HECTOR R. HARISHCHANDRA D. DAVID F. RONALD C. JOHN D. KATRINA C. DIMITAR V. HELEN F.

CATHERINE M. RONALD B. EVERETT W. GRACE H. AGNES H. STEFAN M. LEE Z. EMMETT B. DENNIS V. KELLY S. JOHN C. RICHARD Z. LEONARD M. CLIVE D. NORMA M. STEPHEN B. SHANNON C. OBDULIA R. FINDLAY U. GEOFFREY A. WELSON B. LORRAINE L. KANTIKUMAR D. ARTURO D. JOHN W. BRENDA R. MIGUEL N. FERNANDA N. MARYELAINE R. MARCUS J.

CRISTINA F. JULIA L. PATRICIA T. KEVIN S. JEAN S. KIMBERLY K. RICHARD M. LUIS C. PERSIO C. JEFFREY F. MICHAEL G. JERYL W. JAMES S. JACK C. LOUIS Z. THOMAS I. MICHAEL S. MICHAEL V. BARBARA F. SAMUEL R. BERNICE C. STEVEN S. BRIAN K. JILL M. ALEXANDER O. WILLIAM V. MARIA P. ANTHONY P. ROBERT K. MICHAEL D.

FRANCIS B. ANN C. RAMON F. JAMES W. DOROTHY C. DORIS C. NANCY S. RALPH H. GAEL G. JOHN K. RAYMOND B. TIMOTHY M. RONALD M. ANTHONY C. MARLENE D. NATHANIEL J. LYNN P. BARBARA T. JOHN G. JOYCE H. CATHERINE K. MARY M. DOLORES G. ANTHONY B. WILLIAM R. ANN W. RUSSELL L. MIGDALIA O. ESTELLE F. JOAN K.

JAMES M. KIRK L. JEROME W. BRUCE W. ELIZABETH M. THOMAS S. JULIO B. MAUREEN H. BOBBIE Q. DAWN K. BRYAN L. RONALD G. FELICIA M. JEFFEREY N. JOAN C. PATRICIA B. DOMENIC L. TEOFILO P. JAMES S. ASUNCION R. MARY R. MITCHELL C. GLORIA S. RIGOBERTO C. WILLIAM D. BIBIANA D. FREDERICK M. JOYCE L. ANNE Z. CONSTANCE D.

NATHANIEL W. RALPH Z. GABRIELLA F. BRENDA W. BARBARA C. EDWIN T. WILLIAM P. JOHN C. JOSEPH D. CAROLYN S. BILL F. JEANNE K. ABHAY M. CARLOS L. JACQUELINE S. ROBERT H. JASANTI R. DOROTHY S. CHARLES W. GREGORY Y. BARRY T. RUTILIO P. ANN D. ELIZABETH M. DIVYENDU S. JOSE JULLIAN C. MARK M. SEJA A. JACK L. WALESKA H.

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MANUEL C. PETER VERNON R. EILEEN P. BARBARA S. THOMAS M. CONSTANCE M. KERRY O. AUGUSTINE Y. AMY L. MARYANN S. FERNANDO F. TIMOTHY C. SARA M. JAMES J. MICHAEL K. LEO J. ROBERT B. MICHAEL H. JOHN P. NICKOLAS B. ROBERT H. MICHAEL S. TAMMY G. MALEEKA W. DEBRA S. SARAH D. KAREN M. JORGE P. SARA K. FRANCES P.

MERCEDES R. LYNN M. PHILLIP W. MICHAEL S. JAMES C. ASHOK M. VERONICA D. TUOI N. FRANK G. MARTIN B. RALPH M. DONALD E. DANIEL M. SUZANNE Z. WILLIAM W. STEVEN M. CHARLES J. DENNIS B. DOUGLAS P. AMANDA M. JUAN C. WOODROW S. ROBERT L. ENRIQUE P. DOLLY B. RICHARD G. JOSEPH T. CHARLES R. ARLENE P. IRENE T.

WAYNE P. MARY ELLEN A. PETRONILA C. VALENTINE S. KYLE D. JAMES P. CAROL O. ARUP D. BELINDA R. NICOLE R. MICHAEL C. ORRIN T. RICHARD D. ROBERT F. DONALD K. ERIC F. DOLORES C. MANUEL B. ELLISON J. MICHAEL W. PETER D. ROBERT L. URSZULA M. ROBERT L. HOMER R. ROSEMARIE E. JOSE M. MARCOS P. KARL R. JOSEPH A.

WILLIE M. ROBERT A. ROBERT S. PETER D. JEANNIE M. CARMEL M. THERESA M. FRANK B. ANDREA N. FRANCISCO C. HELMUT D. SUNEYRIX G. JORGE S. PERLET A. KALAVATHI G. SUSHIL J. TERRY B. RAMIRO F. SANDRA A. JONATHAN V. BETTY L. MICHAEL E. JOAN S. DANNY L. CHARLES S. JOHN V. CAROL B. JANET E. NICOLA R. JONELL M.

DORSEY E. MIRASLAB V. VINCENT V. JOHN W. STEVEN W. JOHN K. ROBERT G. NICHOLAS F. JAMES R. GARY B. RICHARD K. RICHARD S. RANJAN P. ERICA B. MICHAEL B. HARRIET M. MOUNA K. CHARLES S. GLENN P. GEORGE K. MICHAEL H. MARCEL C. TERRY M. RICHARD B. ILABEN P. OMAR G. WALTER K. NORMAN GLENN B. HARRY R. MARCIA D.

WILLIAM K. RUBEN Z. DAVID H. ALFRED D. LESLIE F. GAIL W. STANLEY K. MICHAEL G. MILDRED C. VANITY S. RHONDA Y. NICK K. MICHELLE S. MALCOLM C. ROY S. SHPEND I. STANLEY M. DAVID S. SONDRA H. RICHARD G. NICHOLAS M. LEROY V. WILLIAM J. TRACEY V. JAMES E. LAWRENCE W. THOMAS K. ELLEN C. JANIS B. PEDRO M.

GARY G. JEAN J. FRANCES S. RICHARD A. RICHARD D. RUFUS S. EVAN S. ANDREW R. RAJNIKANT T. LOGAN S. DHARMESH P. JORGE A. IRINA M. FRANK M. KATHLEEN F. CHRISTOPHER G. DOREEN O. ANTHONY C. RICHARD C. STEVEN S. EDNA H. ROSETTO R. STANLEY M. ROSS N. RUTH Y. STEPHEN B. JOHN B. JEANETTE S. ETSUKO T. MAREK H.

MARJORIE M. GEORGE B. JOHN A. CHRISTOPHER W. PHYLLIS A. SUSAN G. DAVID F. PATRICIA G. MERCEDES G. JOEL M. RICHARD S. WILLIAM G. LAURA M. THAKORLAL P. JOSEPH G. GAYNELL G. JERRY G. DANA U. CRAIG P. DONALD C. SUSAN L. JOHN S. STEPHANIE K. LAWRENCE F. HERBERT R. GALE S. ARLENE R. KEVIN W. JOHN S. LAWRENCE W.

GHANSHYAMBHAI P. SHAUN S. GENE S. JAMES F. REINA F. JANUSZ G. RAYMOND B. FREDERICK H. GARY B. JOAN D. NANCY M. ALFREDO V. ROBERT P. ANTHONY P. KIM N. LESLEY D. BEVERLY S. MARY B. JAMES B. THEODORE M. JORGE D. STEVEN D. JEFFREY U. WILLIAM N. EDWARD W. PHILLIP H. TAYLOR S. GUIDO C. FRANK E. TERRY R.

KARIQUE W. ELIZABETH D. ANGEL W. RONALD R. MICHAEL C. JOHN S. GEORGE F. ROBERT C. JOSE P. LAKSHMI R. JOSE V. DOUGLAS M. VANDERLYN L. KRISTIE B. PATRICK W. ERICA P. ROBERT W. ANDREW N. JAMES D. DAVID S. EUGENE H. THOMAS O. JILL T. PAUL K. WALTER H. KIRIT P.

LIFE.

Organ and Tissue Donors DEAN T. STEPHEN T. IRENE H. ANDREA F. JUSTIN S. LEON B. LISA C. JEANNE P. JOSEPH D. RAMNIKLAL S. VINCENT R. THOMAS R. MICHAEL K. RAYMOND M. DAVID S. GEORGE F. ANTONIO S. MICHELLE G. ANTHONY F. SANDRA E. GUSTAVO Z. THERESA B. IRENE M. LARRY S. JENNIFER N. ROBERT R. TONI L. LEON C. DONALD M. LAMONT D.

GILBERTO C. CHARLES K. TRACY F. THOMAS H. ROBERT K. JONATHAN C. LEROY K. MARTHA M. RAYMOND W. YASHIRA R. WARREN W. RANAE B. JOHN P. ALFRED L. COREY F. KEVIN W. RAYMOND E. DEBBIE G. EUGENIO H. OSCAR M. ELIZABETH J. MICHAEL K. HOUSHANG V. PATRICIA J. LEEANNE D. ERNEST A. JONATHAN S. BEN L. VINCENT L. MARTIN J.

SCOTT A. MARIJA M. TRACEY W. JONATHAN H. JOANNE T. JORGE C. ANTHONY W. NEREIDA T. FREDERICK L. CHARLOTTE C. CHRISTOPHER B. RAYMOND T. DEBRA C. KATHERINE B. TIMOTHY S. DONALD L. GLORIA V. ANTHONY I. ROBERT Y. ELIZABETH R. BRIAN K. SIMON L. LINDA V. GILBERT J. ANA C. JEAN L. KURT D. RAYMOND W. GUY B. JOSEPHINE F.

MARY M. PATRICIA W. FRANK P. MARK B. NICHOLAS C. ARVINDBHAI P. DONALD S. RICHARD H. RICHARD K. DONNA R. KIM G. ZORAIDA M. JOHN L. GAIL H. CHARLENE S. FRESIOS D. FRANCES D. ROBERT B. FRED R. JAMES P. ORVILLE F. JOAN K. CHARLES V. ELENOR R. MARGARITA E. BARBARA B. JOHN F. CARMEN O. MEGHAN L. ARTHUR W.

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NONPROFIT ORG U.S. Postage

PAID Union, NJ

691 Central Avenue New Providence, NJ 07974 1-800-SHARE-NJ (1-800-742-7365) 908-516-5400

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APRIL IS NATIONAL DONATE LIFE MONTH You can make a difference in the lives of others through organ and tissue donation. Register to be a donor today!

If you no longer wish to receive information from NJ Sharing Network, please call 908-516-5400.

Facebook Links Tissue Recipient with Donor Family Strangers no more thanks to research and social network request Joey Ianiero usually didn’t accept Facebook “friend requests” from people he didn’t already know. But this time, he decided to make an exception. It turned out to be a most rewarding decision. Earlier that same year, Joey tore ligaments in his knee, as well as his meniscus while playing for the Rutgers University baseball team. It could have been the end of his baseball career. However, thanks to donor Thomas Pettit, his family and the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation, it wasn’t. Joey would later learn his donor was also a baseball lover and coach in Texas. Joey’s mother had written the tissue donor family a thank you letter. Thomas’ stepson since

age 3, Brandon Witt, read that letter and decided to find Joey. He found him on Facebook and sent that friend request. The two became fast friends via email. Joey not only returned to baseball, but he went on to steal bases, score runs and multiple RBIs for his team at Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania, where he now plays. Joey, who hopes to eventually play pro ball, was able to thank the Pettit family in person last November. In a surprise reunion, Joey met the Pettits in Dallas during UT Southwestern Transplant Services Center’s Annual Donor Family Memo-

Joey Ianiero

rial Ceremony. “I really don’t believe this is happening,” Brandon said to Joey. “My dad lives on through you. You might as well be family.”

It is the policy of NJ Sharing Network to maintain the confidentiality of the donor, donor family and the recipients. Anonymous correspondence between donor family and recipient received by NJ Sharing Network will be forwarded with permission. When both the donor family and recipient express a desire to have direct communication with each other, appropriate release forms are signed and the information is shared. Meetings between donor families and recipients can be highly emotional events and NJ Sharing Network offers support and facilitates these meetings when requested. A special thanks to MTF for allowing us to share this story.

SAVE THE DATE June 12, 2011

September 26, 2011

Share NJ 5K Walk/Run

13th Annual Golf and Tennis Outing

New Providence, NJ

Plainfield Country Club

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