Saving Lives at the 2018 NJ Sharing Network 5K

Steve Adubato goes on-location to the 2018 NJ Sharing Network 5K to speak with Mary Von Schmidt, Team Captain of "Cindy's Amazing gRACE" about her mom, Cindy, and how her gift of donation saved hundreds of lives.

10/30/18 #2173

Excerpt:

"We're talking to Mary, who is the team captain of a team called, Cindy's Amazing gRACE. Tell us about this. So my mom, Cindy von Schmidt, passed away in 2016 from a brain aneurysm, and we named our team after her obviously. Her favorite song was Amazing Grace, but we thought it really tied into the 5k celebration of life to name our team Grace, but Race, so...Look at the logo, folks. let me get this right. It's…Cindy's Amazing gRACE. And then we just kind of did a play on words with race. Your mom. She was only 55, if I'm not mistaken... a brain aneurysm. Had she talked about giving the gift of life? So, we actually were not really familiar with organ donation prior... she was signed up with the National registration, however, it was nothing that we really discussed. She was 55, young, healthy, fit, we never discussed what are we going to do if you pass of a brain death. So when the opportunity arose in the hospital, I personally, I won't lie, I was a little nervous. I was not very excited thinking about "what are they going to do to her" I was nervous. Of course, my dad and my brother said "yes, absolutely, immediately." I had a lot of questions and concerns, and they were put to bed almost immediately with the bedside manner of the New Jersey sharing Network, explained everything. they... You don't even know who they were before? I had no idea, and now I sit on a council for the network. And I do what I can to raise awareness and spread the word, because it's an absolutely amazing thing and people need to know about it. You know, I'm curious about this... Your smile, your enthusiasm, your passion...There are some folks who might say listen if... if that were to happen to me or a loved one, I couldn't think about anyone else, I would only think about my own terrible situation. you say? Yeah. I can see that a little bit, but honestly, this is the best thing that could have happened to a horrible scenario. I mean, the death of her... of my mom was horrific. it was nothing I had ever expected she passed on Valentine's Day. I was at work and I expected to come home and have a family dinner and I didn't. I got a phone call in the middle of the day and my dad said... my father's blind and he said I think mommy might have had a seizure. She's in the ambulance, it's gonna be okay, come meet us. and I said "okay". my day stopped, I'm rushed out..."