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NEW PROVIDENCE - Two years ago, Erin Snyder needed a kidney. Fortunately, her brother Michael was a good match and he became the donor.
“My sister was lucky that I could donate to her” Michael Snyder said. “She didn’t have to go on the wait list, and that meant someone else could be moved up.”
The operation took place on June 9, 2009 and the 5K race, a first for the Sharing Network in New Providence, will be on Sunday, June 12, just two years and three days later.
“This is the inaugural. It’s the first time they’ve done it,” Snyder said of his involvement. The event is expected to bring donor families, recipients, volunteers, hospital partners and transplant centers together.
Snyder is captain of Team Maitri a name, he said, that is derived from the Buddhist saying for the principle of loving kindness or loving friendliness. Snyder has been studying Eastern Philosophy at Rutgers University and, he said, this perspective hit home. “How do people become happy? By helping others,” he said.
Snyder said there are 10 people on his team, “but it’s not about the numbers.” Although some in the 5K race are competitive, others walk the route to show their support. The race is a U.S. Track approved course and has garnered support from such businesses as Pfizer, the presenting sponsor, Shop Rite, Saint Barnabas and a host of others. “How can a company say no to a worthy cause that saves people’s lives?”
Snyder asked. “The statistics are staggering. Over 90% of the population supports organ donation, but only 30% of eligible drivers have organ donation on their licenses, he said. “The truth of the matter is if you die in a car accident, you can save 50 lives.”
His goal, he said, is to take the unknown out of the organ donor experience by talking to others. He attends St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in New Providence and, when members of the congregation were invited to speak, he described his donation for his sister. “I was amazed at the number of people who came up to me afterwards,” he said. “There would be someone who had a friend or relative who had gone through a procedure. Or someone else was thinking about it, but had concerns. The more you talk about it, the less frightening it is to people,” he said.
“You can lead a completely normal, healthy life,” he said of his experience. “So much that has changed over the last 10 years.” Today, the operation is done macroscopically so there is not the “stem to stern” intrusive approach. “I was out of work for two weeks” he said, “and my management was very supportive. I walked out the next day and was sitting in my recliner at home by 1 p.m.”
For his sister, it was a matter of dialysis or donation, he said. “The best thing to do was the kidney donation. I had blood tests and EKGs, chest x-rays and an MRI.” The procedure was done at St. Barnabas Hospital.
Snyder explained, “She was 31 at the time and I was 34. Now she’s 33 and is doing fine. She got married in October, 2010.”
Michael resides in Murray Hill and is employed with Honda in Madison while taking courses at Rutgers in Newark. They grew up in Chatham, where their parents still live.
“When the doctors told my mother that I was a match, she said, ‘It’s like I had Erin all over again.’”
NJ Sharing Network brings families together
That principle was reinforced by Executive Director Elisse Glennon during a tour of the New Jersey Sharing Network Headquarters.
The 48,000 square foot facility has a memorial hall devoted to donors. Glennon said visitors often come to see the name of someone whose organ was donated to help save another’s life. “There are reunions, too,” she said. “Some families want to meet the donor. Others do not, or may not want to for 10 or 11 years.” It’s entirely up to the parties involved, she said.
The Sharing Network makes its conference room available for outside organizations, such as the Red Cross. The network also conducts special awareness events, such as education to high school and college students on the importance of organ donation. Over 300 volunteers support the outreach efforts.
The transplant laboratory is a fully accredited clinical testing facility that carries out matches between recipients and donors for the 10 transplant programs in New Jersey.
The highly trained staff and state-of-the-art technology help facilitate complicated transplants that would not otherwise take place. The laboratory has been a critical player in saving the lives of more than 9,000 New Jersey residents. Transplant research is a developing initiative.
Transplant coordinators are essential keys to the process. They are on call 24-7, usually in 12 hours shifts. The coordinator reviews medical and social history to determine suitability. The coordinators will assess if or when the family can be offered organ and tissue donation. When consent has been given, the intricate balance of meeting the families’ needs and providing guidance for donor medical management begins.
Many other elements are involved, such as hospital service managers, family support coordinators, funeral home liaison, recovery staff and family after care.
NJ Sharing Network was established in 2006. Glennon said that 50 years ago, the only way to receive a transplant was to see what was available locally. But 25 years ago, four people started a transplant center, with 58 organizations gradually formed throughout the country that do not overlap each other. The national registry makes it possible to match donors and recipients within hours. A kidney, she said, can last for 72 hours, but other organs must be used between four and six hours. She noted that summer has the highest volunme of bicycle and car accidents.
On site is a large warehouse area, where suitcases are already kept with materials needed. Once the donation is made by the hospital, it becomes the network’s responsibility to step in. By having all the materials needed in their own vehicles, network technicians don’t have to worry about what is where at a given location.
“Someone dies. Someone lives,” Glennon said of the emotional process that, with thought and compassion, gives comfort to both donors and recipients.
To participate in the 5K race, register at ShareNJ5K.org. For more information on the NJ Sharing Network, visit sharenj.org or call 908-516-5400.
Snyder is captain of Team Maitri a name, he said, that is derived from the Buddhist saying for the principle of loving kindness or loving friendliness. Snyder has been studying Eastern Philosophy at Rutgers University and, he said, this perspective hit home. “How do people become happy? By helping others,” he said.
Snyder said there are 10 people on his team, “but it’s not about the numbers.” Although some in the 5K race are competitive, others walk the route to show their support. The race is a U.S. Track approved course and has garnered support from such businesses as Pfizer, the presenting sponsor, Shop Rite, Saint Barnabas and a host of others. “How can a company say no to a worthy cause that saves people’s lives?”
Snyder asked. “The statistics are staggering. Over 90% of the population supports organ donation, but only 30% of eligible drivers have organ donation on their licenses, he said. “The truth of the matter is if you die in a car accident, you can save 50 lives.”
His goal, he said, is to take the unknown out of the organ donor experience by talking to others. He attends St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in New Providence and, when members of the congregation were invited to speak, he described his donation for his sister. “I was amazed at the number of people who came up to me afterwards,” he said. “There would be someone who had a friend or relative who had gone through a procedure. Or someone else was thinking about it, but had concerns. The more you talk about it, the less frightening it is to people,” he said.
“You can lead a completely normal, healthy life,” he said of his experience. “So much that has changed over the last 10 years.” Today, the operation is done macroscopically so there is not the “stem to stern” intrusive approach. “I was out of work for two weeks” he said, “and my management was very supportive. I walked out the next day and was sitting in my recliner at home by 1 p.m.”
For his sister, it was a matter of dialysis or donation, he said. “The best thing to do was the kidney donation. I had blood tests and EKGs, chest x-rays and an MRI.” The procedure was done at St. Barnabas Hospital.
Snyder explained, “She was 31 at the time and I was 34. Now she’s 33 and is doing fine. She got married in October, 2010.”
Michael resides in Murray Hill and is employed with Honda in Madison while taking courses at Rutgers in Newark. They grew up in Chatham, where their parents still live.
“When the doctors told my mother that I was a match, she said, ‘It’s like I had Erin all over again.’”
NJ Sharing Network brings families together
That principle was reinforced by Executive Director Elisse Glennon during a tour of the New Jersey Sharing Network Headquarters.
The 48,000 square foot facility has a memorial hall devoted to donors. Glennon said visitors often come to see the name of someone whose organ was donated to help save another’s life. “There are reunions, too,” she said. “Some families want to meet the donor. Others do not, or may not want to for 10 or 11 years.” It’s entirely up to the parties involved, she said.
The Sharing Network makes its conference room available for outside organizations, such as the Red Cross. The network also conducts special awareness events, such as education to high school and college students on the importance of organ donation. Over 300 volunteers support the outreach efforts.
The transplant laboratory is a fully accredited clinical testing facility that carries out matches between recipients and donors for the 10 transplant programs in New Jersey.
The highly trained staff and state-of-the-art technology help facilitate complicated transplants that would not otherwise take place. The laboratory has been a critical player in saving the lives of more than 9,000 New Jersey residents. Transplant research is a developing initiative.
Transplant coordinators are essential keys to the process. They are on call 24-7, usually in 12 hours shifts. The coordinator reviews medical and social history to determine suitability. The coordinators will assess if or when the family can be offered organ and tissue donation. When consent has been given, the intricate balance of meeting the families’ needs and providing guidance for donor medical management begins.
Many other elements are involved, such as hospital service managers, family support coordinators, funeral home liaison, recovery staff and family after care.
NJ Sharing Network was established in 2006. Glennon said that 50 years ago, the only way to receive a transplant was to see what was available locally. But 25 years ago, four people started a transplant center, with 58 organizations gradually formed throughout the country that do not overlap each other. The national registry makes it possible to match donors and recipients within hours. A kidney, she said, can last for 72 hours, but other organs must be used between four and six hours. She noted that summer has the highest volunme of bicycle and car accidents.
On site is a large warehouse area, where suitcases are already kept with materials needed. Once the donation is made by the hospital, it becomes the network’s responsibility to step in. By having all the materials needed in their own vehicles, network technicians don’t have to worry about what is where at a given location.
“Someone dies. Someone lives,” Glennon said of the emotional process that, with thought and compassion, gives comfort to both donors and recipients.
To participate in the 5K race, register at ShareNJ5K.org. For more information on the NJ Sharing Network, visit sharenj.org or call 908-516-5400.
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