Stories of Organ Donation from NJ Sharing Network's 30th Anniversary

Steve Adubato goes on-location to the New Jersey Sharing Network's 30th Anniversary event to speak with Diane Beard, a living kidney donor and Tina Trueba, the daughter of an organ recipient, to share their stories and what the NJ Sharing Network means to them.

1/17/18 #2103

Excerpt:

"When you come to the Sharing Network 30th Anniversary event, you meet some amazing people. Diane and Tina have a special connection to this event, but more importantly to the Gift of Life. Talk about it. Well, Tina's mother needed a kidney and we were good friends for 35 years. None of the family was a match. So I decided to come forward and I donated my kidney, and there's no better feeling in the world, the people that get an organ, they say they're receiving a gift, but the gift is all mine. When the decision was made to do that, what impact did it have on your family? You know, my whole family tried to give our kidney to our mother. We loved her. She was our world. And when none of us were a match, Diane came forward and my mother reluctantly said, "I don't want to accept that kidney," you know, "I love you. You're like a daughter of mine. I don't want to put your life at risk," and Diane said, "well Pat, if you won't accept it, I'm giving it to somebody else." You actually said that? I'm sorry, you said that? I actually said that. She said that. Why did you say that? Well because we had been interviewed by a few facilities, UPenn, Saint Barnabas, God bless them. That's right. And after you go there, and you realize what you can do for somebody, it's an amazing feeling. I know but hold on, why did you tell Pat, your mom, "Hey I'm doing it anyway?" Well because so she would accept. You don't know Pat Troeba. [laughter] You knew that would have an impact? Yes. My mother was selfless. Everything was for everybody else. And she was a… She kept saying to me... By the way, that's gonna be a tough interview with both of them at the same... Yeah. Yeah. What what was she saying? She was saying to me, "What if your daughter, or your son, or your husband needs a kidney?" And I said, "Well, then somebody else will step forward, but right now you're the one that needs the kidney." That's right. And you know what? There's very few of us that can go through this life and know what our purpose is, why God put us here, and believe me, when you give life, there is no better joy in the world. Tina let me ask you this. The message you want to deliver to everyone watching right now about organ and tissue donation? People need to learn about it. When I talk to Diane about her experience, and the..."