#139: A Visit From The NJ Sharing Network

we want to experiment. We're gonna experiment throughout the summer. It doesn't have to necessarily be crazy off the wall stuff. It could be some of that like we had yesterday. Yeah, it could be like some love advice stuff when shares here with chair Nose. It could be whatever. Whatever. We could be public service. We're transitioning. We're trying to figure out exactly where the show goes. Yeah, because, by the way, but I don't the rumors. Don't believe the rumors. The

show's not going away. It just might be reinvented. We might change the title. I wouldn't even say, Mike, I'm saying that it's going to be reinvented. Okay, we are gonna Okay, we we might be changing the titles. You're transitioning. We might be bringing newcast, math and members on God Bless whatever. We might split into two or three different podcasts. Sounds good to me. But the point is the Affair Show, Scary Jones and Greg T will be here on the podcast in some way, shape or form. We are the

We are the pillars that holds up the colosseum. You've always say that you we are the tent poles of the morning. We are You're you are a pole because you are Polish. Where would the show be without Scary Jones and Greg T. I don't know where. Would it be in a better shape than it is today? Elvis would say it would be, but I would I would beg to differ. All Right, you want to take the task on that we can play back to audio anyway. So where I was going with that was today we

want to do something serious. We're gonna throw our format out the window, and again in coming days we might do other things. We might have fun interviews, we might have more bands up. We're just gonna open ourselves up this podcast is going to be everything that's right. Just when you thought we were focusing in on one theme,

it's not. We're gonna be several different shows as to as the days and weeks and months go by, and if there's something that we talked about today that you can really relate to, we'd love to hear about this, so scary tell them right exactly, go to email email us at the Affair Show at gmail dot com. We always want your feedback. You can tweet us at the fair Show or email us uh Instagram all of it

at the fair Show Facebook page two. Although someday it might not be called the Afair Show, then we're gonna have a real problem. But really think about that part. If we changed the logo and we changed the name. So as what I was leading up to is the fact that today we're gonna do something completely different, something we've never done an off fair show, and that's due like a public service. This is not a public service announcement.

It's more of like a public so if we want kind of like an in the no informative thing, we did something similar to this when Dr Fatlawis came up that time. But now we have our friends from the New Jersey Sharing Network. It's correct, and today will be just about that. We're not going to try and do the usual wacky stuff you're normally here here on the affair show. So great t Since you brought this to my attention, why don't you take it away and introduce

me and all the listeners to our friends here. Okay, So about six years ago I was introduced to this really great charity and uh it's called, like you said, the New Jersey Sharing Network And you can check them out at NJ Sharing Network dot org and get more information on what exactly they do or you might be interested in, but we'll let you know today. So what they what they specialize in is uh donating and sharing organs and tissue donating. Am I right there? John? All right?

So that's John sitting to the left of me is John Valentine from the New Jersey Sharing Network and he's their marketing at communications manager. And I've known John now for I guess about four or five years, four years

I think four years. And um, you know, the New Jersey Sharing Network is very active within the community, um and and they do so many great charity events and the events that I partake in is their national kickoff event, and then also all of their five k run walks that I always host and I run and I do those things. Tell us a little bit about the New Jersey Sharing Network, how it came to be and your main mission statement. Yeah. Sure. So at New Jersey Sharing Network,

we save lives through organiz tissue donation. As Greg mentioned um on my technique a break So anyway, so we save lives through organ and tissue donation, and what that means is we actually work with and comfort the families at the time that donation is possible. So when someone has the potential to be an organ and tissue downer, we step in and we make that gift happen. For

transplant recipients. Um, right now, there are over a hundred twenty people in the country waiting for a life saving organ transplant, and so we work every day to make sure that those people get that gift that they're waiting for. That's pretty heavy, I mean, honestly, it's it's it's um it's tough for someone to actually go and register themselves, you know, to to think about that. You know, do I want to be a donor? You know, that's a tough thing to want to do. Is this similar to

when I get a new driver's license. I signed the back that says I'm going to be an organ donor because I've signed mine, and I think that means that if and when I pass well, we will pass all of us, right, they get to donate my You don't think that is that? What that is is as similar? Is it tied in with that when you register on your license or online at our website, there's a national

register you can register register with online. That means that if you pass away and you are healthy enough that you can give organs or tissue to someone else that you would like to do that. So that is um, you saying, this is my wish when I pass away. If it's possible, please make this happen. If somebody doesn't register, then it's up to their family to decide. Ok. Yeah, that's a very good point. It's up to your family.

Here's the thing for me. So my wife and I, so Trice and I were just home one day and we had gotten married, and see, she had to change her driver's license because we lived in New Jersey now and she's from New York. It's all of us, and she comes on it k New York, give us the Brooklyn scary Come on, We're not gonna do Brooklyn giving the Beastie Boys from Brooklyn. I got better, something bad.

Are you gonna mentioned Brooklyn without saying Beastie Boys? Come on? Now, that's something better than this is what we do to our first show, Johnny. What we do is all of a sudden break, So yeah, I'm going from Brooklyn to New Jersey. Was was tragic as it was for me, and I had to get rid of my license. So as you you're gonna play the Beastie Boys when you say Brooklyn, you gotta play the Beastie Boys today? Oh my god, anyway, continue with you. We we all we

do is get sidetracked here. That's what it's part of our party, thinks I have add I just don't want going to have this kind of show today. We weren't opposed to, but I mean, before he went on, were like, we're gonna do very serious, We're gonna do something totally different. We are gonna be serious. But all of a sudden, the out anyway comes home and she goes, hey, just so you know, I'm now an organ donor and I

go what. So she's like yeah, and I said, well, this is this something we should talk about, like we should discuss this, and she's like, no, this is my body is what I want to do. And I said I know. But now we both said I do. And now I have to know these things. All of a sudden, something could tragically happen. You know, I need to tell your mom and dad, like, what's going on here? You know why? Uh? You know they're doing the things they're doing.

So anyway, so trish Um talked to me about after the fact, and now I was so intrigued that now I too am a part of being an organ donor, which is good. That doesn't mean you take my arms. Though, if I could just interrupt here for a second, I was going to say, that's something really important that you just said. So we tell people to register all the time, but you have to take that extra step and actually let your family know that that's what you did. And

it's gonna be a surprise at that moment. But wait when they see your license. You see you sign that's an that like an official document, it is, but you don't want to surprise um your family. Let's say something does happen and they find out at that moment as opposed to knowing for years, might well could you imagine of Also, the doctor goes, oh, and by the way, so she's a donor. So we're we've now called New Jersey Sharing Network to let them know. And I'm like,

what are you talking about? Like, I mean that could you imagine? Because here I am now going to try to cope with the loss. But now all of a sudden, on top of it, I think I I've just found out that you know, we're we're donating organs and tissue. You know, I'm like, you're the kidding, Not that I wouldn't want that, because now I've learned so much. So continuing on, you know, you the New Jersey Sharing Network and what you guys do with with the organs and

the tissues. It goes to people who really need it. And how do how does one sign up to be an applicant to be qualified for somebody else's So when someone is in a certain medical condition that they need a transport, they get for organs. Yeah, they get listed at a transplant center. God, and so they're put on the national waiting list. And when an organ becomes available.

Let's say a heart. Organizations like ours, look at the list and UM it determines based on how long someone's been waiting, their current medical condition, and UM the location they are in relations to UM the available. So there's a different list for each organ. What's the number one organ that people need right now? Lungs? No, give me, give me the come on man, nothing for a contest. We're not playing this game today. They got to have some sound effects. Ready, I have the sound effects. Ready,

let's start again. Ready, what's the number one organ needed? Gets? Say it again? Lungs, give me? Give me another one? Um heart, come on, hold on, wait, um liver, give me come on, hold on, hold on? How about this is three? Or ready? Three structs around? One more? One more? You can't even think of different? Brain? Brain, try again, seriously,

that's the kind of answer. Well, after working very close to the New Jersey Sharing Network again, go to information, go to NJ Sharing Network dot org, and you two can find out the number one organ is a kidney. Yes, you are right? How about that? And at anything point the big kidney at heart at any I like that joke. That's pretty funny. I'm a kidney use it for your

next commercial. And at any kind of point, anybody can just go to their doctor, right and they could sign themselves up get tested and they can donate an order donate a kidney at any time, right right, So someone can just sign up to be a living donor to someone else. Sometimes it's family members, friends, and sometimes people just step forward and say, I want to give a kidney to a stranger. How about that? Because you know you have two and you really don't need to know.

I understand that you could operate on one. Why don't you get one next week? Just don't neate a kidney? Yeah? Why do you live a happy, successful, healthy life? We just don't any peop do. Yeah, people are so scared, like you think you can't do it and if that one goes bad late in life. Actually, no, it's funny

you bring that up. What happens to this? And so if you are a living donor to someone else, um, and you do somehow down the road need a kidney, you will go to the top of the list or yeah, but they don't have enough, so it doesn't matter the top of listening. You still might not get one. Wow, that has to be a perfect match. Right or kidneys right. So they do that. So it's more than UM just blood type. It's UM something called h l A typing so UM. I don't remember what h l A stand.

I don't know, but there's a lot of letters. Man. This is where the doctors come in and I get out out. I don't know either. That is so our lab actually um at our organization does the matching for that, so we do the actual testing between transplant recipient and the available This is this is actually very fascinating. Now, but wait, if you're if if you two are fascinating, remember you can always drop us an email to first

show at Gmail have a plugging their website. I did a felly times already, John, how many times if I set and just sharing? Okay, come on the thing. The thing is a hole. On the second them to our email address. I'm just saying we don't have the answers. What I'm saying. If something relates that with them that we're talking about, any of our off air heads, can you know, can drop us in the email word, tweet us and let us know. You know, you never know.

I have to redeem myself here with the lab staff. If they're listening human Lucasite and antigen gonna throw it out there. I don't want to hear it later. I didn't even say in his pocket. So you have some guests here with you, we do. So the reason why John is here from the New Jerseys Sharing Network and get jay sharing Network dot organ You too can figure it all out five times, thank you very much. Um. So John has brought with us a a friend that

is literally a walking miracle. So this is Tom. You gotta help me. Your name is it? Is it Eliza eli Liaiser, Tom Eliaser, And with much respect that we are, we should really at the name right, Tom Iliaser. And Tom is from Little Falls, New Jersey, and he's here with his wife. Solely right, I'm getting them. I'm getting everything correct now, coating there, slowly getting solely correct, slowly getting I'm trying to rhyme. His wife's fair. He's trying

to call her Sally, but I don't know why. If you say it slowly, he'll come up with solely slowly, solely I got that, And you don't even know because they're longfellows, hio. So so what he's a walking miracle? Tom's a walking Why don't you tell your story? Explain why what you have in common with the New Jersey sharing network and how everything came to be and how you've benefited from them. Okay, Um, I'm gonna give you the short version because I don't want to be here

all day. Guys, here all day, all fairheads. They hate it when we cut short. They want longer. They want to listen for an hour and a half. Phil Jeany dookey House of Music. Scre give us some operating music, give us something I have, graces, anatomies, guess that hospital. Here we go, Tom, that's for you. I was born short, fact class. I won't quite that back. Okay, all right, Um. I had a major heart attack and that was the start of my of my heart situation. Uh that was

May soon after that, playing this This is good? Yes, this is good. You continue. Hey, do you have a deflibrillator? I don't have a defibulator. And it's a cla Clair. Come on, Clair, Sorry all of you, sorry about this. Used to have that thing that he said, okay, you have any heartbeat? We do. I didn't get to that. He was helping that. Let Tom tell a story, all right, Tom, get ahead, Okay, Yeah, So I had a major heart attack in that caused extensive damage and that was the

start of my heart issues. Um. Six months after that at heart figure, they had to put in a defibrillator like you said before. Yeah, and uh that didn't work so well. They had to put in a defibrillator pacemaker to kind of keep my heart going. And uh, soon after that, I had a mitro valve replaced because my heart was so weak. And this is all within eight months of each other, and uh or year actually, and after the mitro valve open heart surgery, I was in

I was in hospital for about ten days. I had my heart kept failing and kept getting weaker and weaker, to the point where my cardiologist said there was nothing they could do and I had to go to Nork and get on the heart transplant list. And actually it was a test that I took in a hospital called I think it was an echo slowly was it the echo echo? And and my injection fraction, which is the amount your heart volume humps, was that ten ten, ten

to twelve, which is real it should be fifty. At that point they said, you know, I went right to Beth Israel, where they did a work up on me and they and they actually kept me there because I was that bad. I was not tom you know. You know it doesn't just happen overnight, am I right? I mean there's gotta be signs. There's gonna be something that leads you up to where you're at. And I mean, is it is it just like that? I mean, did something terrible happen to you? You know what? Condition? You

know what? I can't blame my heart disease on anybody, but you know myself, I guess, but it's in my family. Prior to my heart attack, I didn't have any signs that was healthy guy, working like an animal. Um, live in life, you know. And I and I had a major heart attack that in a lot of cases kills people. You know. My main arty was blo, oh my god. Yeah. And I was just you know, I U I lasted, you know, I mean, I got treated, um, not the most timely fashion. But and that caused a lot of damage.

You know. Um, my original heart attack caused a lot of damage to my heart. And h I wasn't taking care of abruptly like it like it should have been. That's a different story. Um. And from that point on. I had a series of things that led to the fact that I needed a heart, you know, And when I went to Beth Israel, I was what they could consider like the Toyota camera of hearts. I was typed

a positive blood pounds. It was in February, which the spring was coming, where there's a lot of motorcycle accidents, a lot of car accidents. I was supposed to get a heart right away, but I had to wait for a heart three and a half months in Beth Israel, and uh I went through three pumps. I was on my third pump and my health was failing so bad that they're going to do an open heart surgery on me.

Oh my god. I went through what they called balloon pump than have entrifical pump with actually I had a defibulate on this side. They actually went into my chest on the right side, went into my heart and put a turbine kind of pump to spin just to keep it breach, just to keep me alive. And and and the doctor said, this is gonna be your pump that's going to bridge the gap before a transplant, you know,

before a heart comes in. They said, it's your last thirty days, well, twenty eight days after they put it in, my numbers plummeted, and I was feeling awful, and I never forgot I'm getting chill, was talking about it. I woke up and I was in tears. And you know what I always thought when I went to the hospital and I was waiting for a heart, I always thought everything was gonna be okay. And then that last day, I didn't feel that way anymore. Tom, take me to this.

You sit down with your doctor, right and he says to you, I gotta put you on a list. There's nothing else I could do. Yeah, take me if you can take me to that spot. When you hear the words what goes what goes through somebody's head? I can't. You know. Sometimes people will say something, oh yeah, I understand, I understand. This is one of those situations. I can't say, oh yeah, yeah, I know, I can imagine. I can't imagine. Take me to that spot. And I don't mean to

bring you there. But let's be real. Let's I mean, the one thing for the All Fair Show is that we really try to get real. So I want to ask you what goes through your mind when the doctor says to you, there's nothing else I could do. Well, you know what. First of all, I want to thank you for asking me, because you know this is this is good stuff. Believe you want to tell you. I was nervous asking the question I had. I had my stomach gotten not ask him. When should I not know?

You could ask? You could speak to me about anything. My wife will vouch for that. You know, you could talk to me about anything. And I do want to mention I want to talk to your wife as well about like what goes through her mind? When where is she at this whole thing? But but please tell me what goes through your mind. Originally, when my cardiologist said it, I didn't react to it. I waited. I waited because I was saying, my wife's we gotta go, you know that.

I said, it's gonna be okay. I'm not at that point yet. You know, it's heart transplant. Is there's a lot to swallow? Yeah, And uh, I said, I'm not at that point yet. I didn't think I was that bad and I didn't want to believe. It was almost denial, you know what I mean. And it got to the point where my health was so bad walking was it chore, you know what I mean. And uh, it got to

the point where I had no choice. And you know what people said to me, You're the strongest human being I've ever met for what you've been through, you know. And I don't mean to to sound vain or anything like that, but I'm not the strongest person. The will to live for most people is so strong. And I had two little babies, So how I felt really was do what you gotta do, you know, do what you gotta do because I want to if I want to see my kids get older. And I was an older father.

I had kids at forty two and forty four years old, and uh, they're the most important thing. My wife and children are the most important thing to me. So you're there, you're married. Now you're what happens there? Your husband's you sit right next to him and doctor says this, what do you what do you say to your husband? Well, first of all, I was eight months pregnant when he had eight months at the time when I had the

heart attack. When he called me and he said he thought he was having a heart attack, and he said he was actually near Jersey City. Yeah, he was gonna go to um Jersey City to Christ's Hospital, and I started yelling at him, saying, why don't you go to Hackensack. That's still far away. I have the baby with Both my kids are born in Hackensack. You know, I said to us, So I won't last at Hackensack. I won't be alive by tell my attack. WO. I thought, what came? I was in WO. By the time I went to

Christ's hospital, he actually didn't look much alive. He had a great color to his face. He wasn't really aware, and actually I won't get into details, but he wasn't being taken care of hospital, and we long story shore we ended up getting him transferred to New York Carthicil, where he did get kath Rise and they actually ended up saving his life and he actually made it within minutes. But because like he said before, he had sustained so much damage to his heart, his heart was only upgrading

from then on. He he just went down here. So now we're here with a new born baby. After that, and she's talked a start of this war. You know, we have a new bern baby and a two year old, and he was mostly in hospitals, probably seventeen times eighteen times throughout the time before he got listed at New York Carthicral and that day, going back to that day, it was um, three days before Valentine's Day. Um, we went uh February eleventh, I remember, and I left the

babies with their grandma, like with it this morning. Now babies they're five and three now. Um. But um, it was just a routine checkup that I took him to. And when he I was waiting in the waiting room for the procedure, and once he was in recovery, I want to go see how he was doing. I requested to speak to the doctors to see how the procedure went. And I'm thinking, you know, he's gonna be in recovery

for a couple of hours, will go home. When the doctor came in and told me he has to stay here because his condition is so poor that he won't make it through the weekend. And I said, but how long? And he said, he's better get on the list and it could be three weeks, three months, six months, We don't know which is where John Valentine from New Jersey, Sherry never comes in three days before all the time's day,

We're on the list, correct, at this point. You were on day of the thirty day expiration of the pump in February, the only twenty eight days at this point

he actually got listed. Um, it took about three weeks or process to listen, because they have to test them, find out what blood type, they have to find out how your other organisation you just can't put any And this is just just so people, don't you know, people listening understand you have to have as John you were saying before, the right blood type has to be the

you know. And by the way you said you were the Toyota camera that what you were saying was in essence you with a perfect candidate, you know, because you know you weren't like some rare blood type or some rare like type of weight or height. So you actually had the perfect heart that was about to be do

we stay installed or harvested? Right? But and then and then the Toyota cameras for everybody right exactly, But then that went a way, that opportunity went away, correct, It just took along, took a long time for the right the right match. And if you're in New Jersey you can stop by Sands and Auto. Of course they've got your Toyota camera right there. Just go on in and check out the brand new lead models camera, Sands and Auto right there on Root one and would Bridge New

Jersey's clients, Yeah, they'd be happy to hear this. Matt mentioned rolled up in the New Jersey Sharing Network public service. You are a warped human being, grant you are warped just going over to Sands and Autoyta camera out there. So okay, so so, but for what are the odds? Twenty eight days February three days for Valentine? They mean John Valentine from the Seriously Shared Network. I mean, guess

it's crazy. What are the odds? It's like the Twilight connect the dots here, but it was meant to happen. But what I want the listeners to understand is how someone like Tom links up with someone like you, John, and how how this came to be because obviously you're in here right now talking about it in the past tense, so you know, you know we have a whole history there too. I didn't I didn't know John, I didn't know anything about the Sharing network. Laying in the hospital.

They're behind the scenes. These guys do all the work they're they're amazing. I was sitting there half dead waiting for a heart. That's all I knew. You know right what Tom just said. And I'm gonna let John fish, but he is so right. That's the one thing that people don't know. They don't understand how much work the New Jersey Sharing Network does. It is really fascinating. You know, I was able to get a tour of the place.

I had no idea that they go and they retrieve the organs and tissues themselves, bring it to someone else themselves. I thought, like, you know, doctors just happening, So you don't outsourcing New Jersey never sharing Nework does everything themselves. It's it's it's radio. But the truth is is that is that I'm telling you right now that the State

of New Jersey and I don't know these numbers. I don't get in the middle of all this, but I just and I've said it so many times, even even though the big boss is there, they need more resources, more money from the State of New Jersey. They need to help out the New Jersey Sharing Network more. They have to. And I look, I'm not gonna get into all the political game, but they need to focus more from what I saw as a regular person. It is unfair to see that how how little the New Jersey

Sharing Network receives from the state of New Jersey. They need more, John, do you hear this? Governor Christie the kidding? This is for real? John, Please let me backtrack a little hair so you let me answer your question. So gets a little wound up right now, we sidetrack and side track and sidetrack. Thank you bring bringing some levity to this. Go right back to the question. That a

very pointed question that I asked, very good question. So you asked how UM we are connected to transplant recipients and how it has up in so before he got unraveled. Yeah, they need more san Son Auto Right, So when someone passes away UM in a hospital in New Jersey, Uh, they contact us, They contact New Jersey Sharing Network and our staff goes into the hospital performs the test to

determine if someone could be a donor. UM works with the family, provides them and any support they need, the comfort they need, and if that person can be a donor, then our staff You're right, Greg actually recovers the organs and tissue and UM we'll go with that organ then for the allocation for the transplant recipient. So um in this case, um, you know, to a transplant recipient like Tom and um. Just just to make it clear, I am not in the operating room. I am not a

medical professional. But it takes a special special team, special kind of people to be able to do the work that we do, and our clinical team is the best of that. Hey, Tom, So now you have a you have a heart, your recipient, heart recipient. Do you know the family, do you know the donor? Do you know work comes from? Because sometimes people don't want to know,

but I don't know your case, what happened. I really I want to incorporate the Sharing Network with how I met the family because when I was in the hospital waiting for a heart, there was a group of people called the Hearty Hearts. These are people that got transplants, and they used to come around and be encouraging and say everything's gonna be okay while I'm waiting there, you know, as sick as I was. And come to find out that many of them wrote letters to the Sharing Network

to meet the donors. Because that's what's done, that's that's the process. You can't you can't right the family on your own. They have to do it through the Sharing network. And no one that I spoke to ever met the family. Really, it's very because I think everybody's got their own grieving process for the family. I don't know, to be honest with you, Uh, I'll tell you the story. I'll tell you that the three minute story of how the Sharing

network and I met the family. I was in Get three talked for ten I was at the uh CVS. I was at CVS, and I received the call because I wrote a letter about maybe six months after I got the transplant to the Family Medication Needs or CVSS Farmers. It's like a Walgreens for those who don't have a CVS near that mosting to this national podcast. While I was there getting medicine, I realized I need to get

in the milk. They got everything at CVS, CVS alright enough that I was So I'm at CVS and all of a sudden the phone rings and they said, I forget the woman's name from the sharing network. She said, this is so and so from Sharing Network, And I want you to know that the letter you wrote the donor's family received, And Uh, I'm getting okay with the goose bumps here, talk about it because it was very emotional for me. And she said the donor who was a woman, I have a woman's heart. Now, Um, the

husband wants to talk to you. And I said, wow, it's amazing. I said, well, I said, I can't wait, you know. And uh, she said, well, the funny thing is he signed all the paperwork and you could speak to him now if you want, you know. So I said serious, and add the lady from the sharry Neckwar is crying. I'm getting choked up in CVS because I'm gonna meet, you know, and the ladies from the from the Sharring I was crying. So they exchange you know. Uh,

I got the guy's number and I drive away. You know. I drove out of the parking lot, and I was going to go home and tell my wife and and uh, you must be shaken and mother. Yeah, And I couldn't wait. I live right by CVS, but I had to do something else and I couldn't wait. So I pulled over and and I called him up. His names his name's Jerry, Jerry, Jerry Mead, and uh, I said, Jerry, this is Tom. I'm you know I'm the person that received Yeah, I'm

the person received your wife's heart. And me and him started crying on the phone, and he said, listen, it was a tragic action that happened in the house that that that made her pass. And he said, I want you to know more about the woman whose heart you

have and how special she was. And the guy's bowling on the phone and I'm crying, and uh, just a backtrack for a second, because there was something I wanted to mention before about about becoming a donor and about telling your family members, because there may be an instance where a person's on life support and maybe in order to match the heart, they have to keep her alive for another hour to harvest those organs. And I think that's another reason why it'd be important to tell your

family about that. But to going back to to what I was talking about, so Jerry and I were speaking, he said, you know, she was just bigger than life. And you know I have two sons, Justin and Brandon and once in college and Glassborow it's about two hours away, said there's a track. It was a tragic accident that corps her to pass. She fell down a flight of stairs, and I told him the story about the night that I got the call that my health was my my heart was failing and I was gonna need an open

heart surgery. The night that I you know that I called, I mean the day I called my wife and my brother crying because my numbers plummeted and I was feeling so sick. I was crying. I says, I don't think I'm gonna make it. You know, I was in bad shape. And it was that day that hurt track and accident happened. Oh my god. So I'm in the hospital at Beth Israel and they said, we're gonna put elv that on you, which is an exterior pump, and send you home. I

was there three and a half months. I said, no way. I say, is there anything that could keep me here? I don't want my kids to deal with this again. And they said, well, there's a center mag this big, ugly pump that's an exterior thing that has tubes that go out of your stomach. I said, that's the one I want, you know, that's the one I want, which was horrible. I couldn't have saw my kids, but it was gonna keep me in the hospital. So they scheduled

that surgery. They scheduled that surgery. Uh, this is in the afternoon, early evening. They scheduled the surgery. Five minutes later, my wife comes in with watermelon and I'm gonna eat the watermelon. And the nurse comes in and says, you can't eat that. And I remember them saying, if a heart comes in, you can't eat, They're gonna tell you can't eat. So I said to the nurse, so, what do you mean I can't eat this? She says, you can't eat this. She goes, you have you have a

procedure to do? You have test to do? I said, listen, I'm getting open heart surgery tomorrow morning to keep this to keep me alive. Don't tell me that I want to have this. I was nasty, right, and uh, sure enough. In Williamstown, New Jersey, a woman falls down a flight of stairs at the time where I'm arguing with his nurse, the heart became available, and five minutes later the doctors came in, two of the doctors that were helping me out, and they said, uh, they said they they walked in.

I said, what's what's going on? Doctors? Dr Claudia Gadea and Dr Janice Peretti were part of the heart team at Beth Israel and they came in and I said, what's going on? And they said, will you tell me? You know everything? Because I was a smartass when I was in there, and uh, I said, I don't know. I said, am I getting this operation tomorrow morning? And they said no, they said, heart just came in for you. And uh. At that point, my brother and my wife

started crying hysterically because this is happening, is happening. And as they're crying for joy, the meat families crying in tears because they had her hooked up and she was brain dead and you know, oh my god. And uh so that's how that's how this happened, you know, that's that's what was taking place. So that night, um, the heart came was about two hours away Williamstown from where I was. And uh, they went and looked at the heart and they said, you know, it's beautiful, it's perfect

for you. You know, it's the right size, right blood type, it's a pristine heart. You know, it's a very strong heart. She hadn't And that's how it started. I mean, that's how the process of the transplant. Sorry, it happened that night, you know, and I missed that third open heart surgery. I was gonna have you know what I mean, he already had. They already cracked me open a few times,

and they were getting ready to do it again. So it was almost it was almost surreal the way it happened after three and a half months, and it was even more surreal, is you know growing up? This is a little side piece growing up. I was very close with my grandmother. I grew up with my mother and my grandmother. It was her hundredth birthday that day. What the heart came in? I mean, she passed twenty years ago.

But like my brother said, he goes if life is just you know Memi, we used to call me me mem He's gonna get you a heart on her birthday. Three and a half months later, odds, three and a half months later, I was on my third pump, getting ready to get my third pump, failing health wise. Um, and this is now You're the walking miracle. So now what how do you change your life? What do you do now? Are like you? What was that song? I went sky diving, rocky bound climbing. Obviously, with a new

lease on life. You treat your your body differently now, right you diving? No, how have you made changes in your life? You know? I can't. I can't eat the sodium, you know, I have a I have to not eat meat as much. I have to try taking care of myself, exercise and you know, um, I have to live a cleaner life. I don't drink, I don't smoke. I don't. You know. So you've seen a transformation. Yeah, and now you know now they have a woman's heart. Every twenty eight days, I get a little moody. What am I

gonna do? I can't you know, I can't write? Yeah, hell, but you know I I could be a father to my kids right now. You know, I could be a husband to my to my wife. You know, it's just it's just it's just been a blessing, you know. And I was I was pretty close to a punching my card. I was pretty close to being at here, you know. I gotta tell you, I think it's pretty amazing what

the new jerky sharing network dude for people. And I hope that by hearing your story, Tom, that other people understand exactly what goes into it and You're right, it is, and it is so hard to grasp knowing that one family is losing someone their organs are helping others and somebody else's grieving and then they're crying that of joy. It is. It's such a weird roller coaster ride to be on and you're sitting there saying, you know, I'm ready to punch my card. This is the end of it.

And now all of a sudden they're giving you life now as someone else, a mom has just passed. It is God that is on me. It's it's umble, and I know we're trying to bring some light here. I'm yelling, Scary to play Tim mcgrass song. I'm trying. It's not Live Like You're dyet. It's the craziest that's a song man has to play you rather play Doctor feel Good. It's just the whole thing is just it's hard to the doctors made him feel good. Yeah, I don't know

doctor feel good. Live like You're dying. I think that you know about how to shave a life by the frank, Should I play that one? That's another good song. These are great songs when there's the promotion of song because you're playing paying that one. You gotta play live like you're dying at some point. I guess I don't know. It's a happy moment here, that's the happiest moment ever. No, it isn't. That song is about you. Gotta hear the words he's saying. When the doctor tells you and you

don't how much time to live? You know? How do you? What do you do? You live your life? In your life by Rihanna. You play that to live your life? Anyway? What's the okay? Is this a song that Tom? When you hear you're like, that's my song. It's not the one you just said? What is your song? Tom? You know what? You can't? I need some kind to prepare my brain for this. I can't think of a song off off the top. There's got to be an emotion of feeling. There's gotta be a book something you read

it said, that's my life. That's interesting. You don't have to wrap everything up with it's my You don't know, but the great Tea Now he's got to live his life. No, no, but he has to wrap everything up in his song. And not everything needs a song. You told. This story was very well put. It was pointed that you need not live my life. I did it my way, my way. Listen, can I tell you a song that? Yeah, the other day I was drying with my daughter and I put

songs on YouTube. I put them through my car. Yeah, she wanted Katie Perry. Yeah, I said I got a song for you. Okay, I said, I'm gonna put a little black Sabbath Ozzy Osborne, iron Man, iron Man, I am iron Man. I get nervous. He just punched himself in the chest. You know I'd be scared right now. That's the song I'll play, Not that Tim Cross song. What do you mean that song says at all? No? One doesn't You don't want off fairheads? Why don't you drop us an email? You tell us who you think?

Is it this song or Timergrow? It looked like you're this song Tom. I don't know, man, I happen to think that this one would be the best song. Looked like you're dying. You know. My oldest one loved this army and my youngest daughter loved the song. Exactly. Explain this cannot be the song song. So if there's something that you want to get across, this is the song. Are you kidding me behind I don't oh my Shine

famous ut about the core song I've ever heard? Oh my God sign rocks and pus shut up Us play age played again. Yeah, Yeah, this is what we'll play for a man. It's just got a Heart Transplant iron Man by Ozzy Osa Sabbath. Okay, you know who's to say, you know he's got a heart. He guess he can call any song he wants exactly what the iron Heart

and choose the music. So if this is a message, if there is one message you want to get across everybody, not even in closing, If it what's a message, Mr Valentine, Mr Hart himself, he's got it. By the way, this is one of those guys that has a job that matches his last name. Because you know, we have a friend. Her name is Zoe Hamburger. She's McDonald's corporate. It doesn't get any better than than Zoe Hamburger. That's her real name. We have a friend. Her name is Amy Freeze. That's

her real last name. She does the weather for Channel seven. Stop it, Amy Freeze, that's a real last name. And John Valentin Valentine, hearts John. You can't make this stuff up. About Stormfield storm Field real name true. He was before Valentine's Day, Tom gets a heart exactly right. So talk about the New Jersey Sharing network? What do you what? What is the message people could come away with here? What do you need most when they go to New

Jersey Sharing Network dot org. So there's a few things they can do, but most important of course is to register as a donor UM and then, like we said, tell your family that you're registered. Can you register at enjay Sharing Network dot org? Yeshi the seventh time I've now thrown that in there, right, and jay Sharing Network, So you can register there. Yes, you don't have to go to the d m V anymore. No, you can register right on our website UM with the National Donate

Life Registry UM. Do it online. You have to just do it once and that's it and you're and you can drop a donation there as well. Right, people can make contributions and they can also because we need money. Yeah, try to do anything without money. Yeah, I just want to met you one one other things for another song request my dough. My donor helped like sixty people. Her liver went somewhere, her kidney went somewhere, her heart went somewhere,

her eyes went somewhere, her tissue he went somewhere. So you're not just help on one person. And like I said, you don't You're not going to use them when you're dead. It's not only that, I also want to mention that it's it's not just a beautiful thing to become an organ doner. UM. Picture yourself just being a hero, not just in your life, UM, but after your life and saving other lives, saving families. UM. I can speak for myself that I was terrified to lose my husband close

to the time when he received that transplant. He had gotten to a point where he was just skin and bones and I had to actually take it of him as a baby feeding wash him. He couldn't stand up, UM. And my children had to see their daddy like that. And you know, to know that somebody UM at their worst time in their life. Let's say the person is not an organ donor. UM. It should be a great

thing for families also to consider UM to help other families. UM. It also amazing he helps with the grieving process, believe it or not, Because our donor's family, we are very close UM our donors UM family had a brother which is my brother now and I love him to death. We speak every day. His name is George. Her husband Jerry. It's like another dad to our daughters. Um, her two sons are like brothers to our girls. And it is a beautiful thing. I mean, all her friends are my

friends now. We talk all the time when we get together, we go visit them very often, and it's like a whole big group of people that just love each other. We don't feel like we just came together now. We feel like we known each other for many many years. And that's the type of relationship that we have. And not only that, it helped her husband tremendously with his grieming process. UM, knowing that her heart went on and that UM, it helped our family the way it did.

It helped him so much, uh to with her loss. UM so did for me as well meeting her family, because it is a conflict of emotion, believe it or not, to know that I have my husband, but somebody out there didn't have a family member that they love. But meeting them, they also told me how to cope with that conflict. So it is a beautiful thing. And you know your name, you are a good soul and your

name are you guys? You are organ donors? Yes? Absolutely, Actually they threw us a party when we went down to meet them originally, and I actually bought a stethoscope and let the whole family here, let the husband here, the wife's heartbeat in my chest, and the kids, and it was just a really emotional thing. I want to say that too. It was a real emotional thing. I got you tearing up that I can't. I'm like, this last had this last half hour has just been so surreal,

you clean. I was about to drop that. I was about to drop that on you guys. And he didn't even have to ask. I had it ready to go. Oh yeah, by the way, long after you've passed, are you can this heart go on to another person? Now? Shut the music off because the heart won't go on. It's over there, that already is. You know. I think that's a great question, though, because you know, how how how how how far can it? How does donating works?

Just one? It just got it, just one person right with one transpliter say okay, yeah, and there are people we know who have had a transplant for thirty plus years. Mom, So it depends every person. Every person is different. Now, Tom, you have to go to according cardiologist regularly. I would imagine, right, you're always getting checked constantly. I go to the team at Beth Israel. Mark Zucker runs runs the trick on Facebook as Mackerberg say, we're trying to keep you can

all cut times. Stronghouse equally as important, if not more. Now I go to see that the heart transplant team at Beth Israel, and they're amazing. But they're amazing. I can't say how much I love those people and how amazing they are. So listen. Last, but not least, we do have to promote that this coming Sunday in New Providence, New Jersey, it is the New Jersey Sharing Networks final five k event of the year. So every year they

have many more events. So there's other events that are going on, but this is the last five k run walk that will be doing UH and I will be there to host it as usual, I'll be there to run, so hosting just me and I just get on the microphone like you Scary and Hoboken, we can just go here. It comes down a lot of runner But I volunteer every year to do a party with purposes at five k. So I stand at the finish line, and hence I

kicked the race off. And then I stand at the finish line and the street on the world's biggest cheerleader. You're helping something. He stands there while we're all like's gonna here they come, here's crag to finish, and then here we got the number five seventy four coming across. Okay, alright, great, So you're doing this this weekend? That's right. I run, I host with the microphone. I run alongside of him and I go, hey, what are you? What are you

doing here? How you're running for? And then we run and talk at the same time. You're a more athletic. That's right, we do. So if you're my heart to go on right list, I'm not gonna run, I'm gonna stand Sunday. She needs to get himself and listen now. And that's what is it all at Burgers Easy this coming Sunday, June the fourth. Go to NJ Sharing Network dot org get all the information you need. If you can't make this, uh this five K run walk, maybe

you can do something else in the future. There are so many events that you can go to to be a part of the New Jersey sharing network and I encourage everybody perfect alright, Soley John Valentine, Thank you guys. Are we love the story? Hey, give us some feedback on this kind of episode of Fakir Show at the Aufair Show at gmail dot com. This was heavy, bro, This was heavy, heaviest. Thank you guys. I wonder if all their heads can hang its very heavy heart. See

jacklobe jacklog. It's a thing. Don't last, glast I guess this last