By Samantha Wohl
NJ Sharing Network (NJSN) proudly serves as New Jersey’s federally designated 501(c) 3 non-profit organ procurement organization. NJSN, headquartered in New Providence, plays a crucial role in facilitating the recovery and placement of donated organs and tissue for those in need of a life-saving transplant. The organization aids the 4,000 NJ residents currently awaiting transplants, as well as the 110,000 people on the national waiting list. By partnering with hundreds of organizations throughout the state and the U.S., NJSN operates 24/7/365 to serve donor families, waiting patients, and transplant recipients.
In 2014, NJ-based brothers Jared and Cameron Wohl – ironically born on the same day, three years apart – experienced firsthand the power of organ donation. Cameron needed a life-saving liver transplant due to his primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a rare autoimmune disease that impacts the bile ducts of the liver. After going through testing to confirm he was a match, Jared successfully donated 65 percent of his liver to Cameron via a living transplant surgery at New York Presbyterian in New York. The liver is the only internal organ in the body that can regenerate itself after damage or loss of tissue, so both brothers’ livers ultimately regenerated to normal size following transplant.
Leading up to the transplant, Jared and Cameron founded a nonprofit called The Wave Set, signifying “We Are Vital to Each Other.” The Wave Set’s mission is to spread awareness and educate about the importance of organ donation. As part of their efforts, they launched a successful crowd-funding campaign to raise money for the production of 65 Percent, a documentary depicting their family’s journey through the transplant experience.
Jared and Cameron have contributed $10,000 on behalf of The Wave Set to the Sharing Network Foundation, a subsidiary of NJSN, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of their liver transplant. The Sharing Network Foundation supports the work of NJSN and is committed to increasing the number of lives saved through clinical advancement, family support, public awareness, and education about the life-saving benefits of organ and tissue donation and transplantation.
The $10,000 gift will support the newly established Joseph S. Roth Simulation Training Center in NJSN’s headquarters. The Center is named and dedicated in memory of NJSN’s former President and CEO. The Simulation Center, which is anticipated to be fully operational by fall 2024, is designed to prepare clinical teams with the best hands-on learning options available to manage organ and tissue donors and support families. The Training Center features the same advanced technologies and equipment used in partner hospitals throughout NJ, including patient simulators, monitors, ventilators, and advanced video technologies. The technology available at the Joseph S. Roth Simulation Training Center will enable NJSN’s clinical staff to develop the necessary skills to manage potential organ donors and thereby increase the number of organs transplanted. In addition to use by NJSN staff, there will also be opportunities to partner with outside organizations.
You can help support NJSN’s lifesaving mission by registering today as an organ and tissue donor at njsharingnetwork.org/register/.
Learn more at sharingnetworkfoundation.org/the-wave-set.