Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and RWJBarnabas Health Mark National Organ Donor Month with Gift of Life Celebration

Newswise — (New Brunswick, NJ) – More than 200 organ transplant recipients, donors, family members and their caregivers joined together at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) to celebrate National Organ Donor Month with a special program, “From Donation to Transformation: Celebrating the Gift of Life.” RWJUH is an RWJBarnabas Health facility.

The second annual event organized by RWJUH Transplant Outreach Coordinator/ Physician Liaison Emily Berls, RN, honored organ recipients, living donors and donor families whose lives have been changed through the incredible gift of organ donation and transplant. The audience heard from heart, kidney and pancreas transplant recipients who shared their stories and expressed gratitude to their donors and care teams.

Perth Amboy resident Raymond McKnight had his heart transplant at RWJUH in 2015. He remains eternally grateful for anyone who chooses to become an organ donor.

“I hated to see him go, I hate to see anyone go,” Raymond said about his donor. “But I thank God for him being here for me.”

Rodric Bowman of Roselle Park believes every day is a gift for him and his family after he received a simultaneous kidney/pancreas transplant at RWJUH in 2025.

“I just appreciate life – it’s important to value every day that you wake up,” Rodric said. “The team here is amazing, keeping me informed throughout the whole transplant process and making sure that I made a full a recovery. I am doing very well now and feel like I am thriving. It’s all because of the team here and the support of my family and friends throughout this journey.”

Ewing resident Carmella Rice received her life-saving heart transplant at RWJUH on Thanksgiving Day in 2024. The significance of receiving a matching donor heart on that specific day is not lost on her and her family.

“I feel amazing – life has completely turned around for me,” Carmella said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better present.”

RWJUH’s Heart Transplant and Kidney Transplant Medical Directors said they hope the event will encourage people to learn more about becoming an organ donor.

“We are deeply grateful to our courageous patients for sharing their stories of resilience and hope to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation,” says Deepa Iyer, MD, Medical Director of RWJUH’s Heart Transplant Program. “They are living proof of the incredible impact organ donation can have in giving individuals the ultimate second chance at life.”

“Agreeing to be an organ donor is a simple, selfless act that can make a dramatic difference in the lives of many individuals and their families,” adds Neeraj Singh, MD, who joined RWJUH in 2025 as Medical Director of its Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program. “We hope that the stories our patients shared will encourage more people to give the gift of life by becoming donors.”

RWJUH is home to comprehensive heart, kidney and pancreas transplantation programs. In addition to Drs. Iyer and Singh serving as Medical Directors of the programs, Ronald Pelletier, MD, is Surgical Director of Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation; Hirohisa Ikegami, MD, is Surgical Director of the Heart Transplant Program; and Marci Daniel is| Vice President, Transplant, Heart & Vascular Service Lines.

The Advanced Heart Failure, Ventricular Assist Devices (VAD), and Heart Transplant Program at RWJUH stands at the forefront of specialized care for patients with heart failure. The program offers a full spectrum of care for people with advanced heart failure, including biventricular pacemakers, defibrillators, a nationally accredited left ventricular assist device (LVAD) program, and a Medicare-certified heart transplantation program with excellent outcomes. In 2024, the program had more than 1,600 patient visits to its clinic.

In 1999, RWJUH’s Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Center performed its first transplant. Today, its mission is to offer the widest range of options for patients facing end-stage kidney disease and complications from diabetes. RWJUH’s highly trained physicians perform living donor kidney transplants as well as transplants from deceased donors for adult and pediatric patients. In 2024, the Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program had more than 2,800 visits to its clinic.