SPRINGFIELD — New Jersey Organ and Tissue Sharing Network Inc., which coordinates organ donations with all of New Jersey’s transplant centers, has released public service announcements featuring more than 30 local elected officials to raise awareness of the importance of organ and tissue donation.
At the fall New Jersey League of Municipalities convention in Atlantic City, NJ Sharing Network joined with legislators and mayors from across the state to film the announcements (PSAs).
Oceanport Borough Mayor Michael Mahon and Holmdel Township Mayor Serena DiMaso were among the local officials who filmed PSAs.
Jessica Melore, 26, an advocate for organ donation who received a lifesaving heart transplant when she was 17, also interviewed many of the elected officials who had their own direct experiences with organ donation.
“This type of program allows elected officials to connect with their constituents on the most fundamental level — preserving lives through organ donation,” said Joseph Roth, president and chief executive officer of NJ Sharing Network. “We are very fortunate in New Jersey to have a Legislature that is engaged with our message and our mission, which was most recently manifested in the passage of the Hero Act,” said Roth.
“The legislature has ensured that through the Hero Act, lifesaving organ and tissue donation education will be mandated for New Jersey high school students, college students, nurses and physicians.
Furthermore, this legislation provides us with the ability to honor the wishes of those who have made their decision to donate on their driver’s licenses or through the Donate Life New Jersey Registry.”
New Jersey Sharing Network has sent the PSAs to local TV stations across the state.
All of the PSAs and Melore’s interviews can be viewed on the home page of www.sharenj.org.
New Jersey Sharing Network is a member of the United Network for Organ Sharing, responsible for the recovery of organs and tissue for the 4,500 New Jersey residents currently awaiting transplants.
More than 100,000 people in the U.S. are on transplant waiting lists. Each year, more than 6,500 people die while waiting for an organ transplant.