Somerset Mother to Run in 5K after Receiving Lifesaving Gift from Son

The love and generosity of a son gave Somerset resident, Tracey Amadi, a second chance at life. Through the paired kidney exchange program, Tracey’s son, Emmanuel, was able to save his mother’s life.

After going through dialysis for five years, being admitted to the hospital 14 times within 18 months and having her gall bladder removed, Tracey was worn out. When Emmanuel first suggested giving his kidney, even though he is extremely terrified of needles, Tracey declined it. Afraid and unsure if the condition that caused cancerous tumors to develop in her kidney as well as scarring in the blood vessels was hereditary, Tracey didn’t want to put her son at risk.

After false alarms of being “next in line” for a kidney, Tracey finally decided to turn to her son. Emmanuel was tested through the paired kidney exchange program. He was not a match for Tracey. But the paired kidney exchange program matches one incompatible donor/recipient pair to another in the same situation. Four months later, Tracey and her son went through the transplant process. On May 21, Tracey will celebrate her one-year anniversary of a new life. Emmanuel is well and healthy a year later, as well.

Tracey recently became a volunteer with NJ Sharing Network, the non-profit organization responsible for recovering organs and tissue in New Jersey for transplant. She plans to participate in NJ Sharing Network’s 5K Walk & USATF-Certified Race on June 8 in New Providence. She feels it is crucial to do so because she is so grateful; supporting the 5K is just one small way to give back.

Tracey wants to be a role model to others and display how important giving back to your community is. She said, “We are born, we live and then we die. Don’t you want your legacy to say you gave for the greater good and didn’t expect anything in return?”

Tracey is also beginning a non-profit organization, We Are Our Brother’s Keeper, which will spread education and awareness about organ donation to minorities. She recently held a luncheon gala to bring awareness to organ donation, celebrate the gift of life and share her journey with others. Guest speakers included representatives of NJ Sharing Network, a nephrologist from Somerset Medical Group and a personal life coach.

“I am now driven to make more people aware of organ donation and the exchange program,” said Tracey, co-owner of SkinArise, a New Jersey home-based business that makes all natural salt body scrubs and nutritional body oils. 

Nearly 5,000 people in New Jersey currently are awaiting life-saving organs, and each day 18 people in the United States die while waiting for the gift of life according to the United Network for Organ Sharing, the agency that maintains the national transplant waiting list. NJ Sharing Network is committed to reducing the number of patients waiting in New Jersey and sees its annual 5K as a great way to educate others about the importance of organ and tissue donation.

“Our annual 5K Walk/Race attracts thousands of people each year, many of whom are family members of organ and tissue donors and transplant recipients that received the gift of life, who want to help us save more lives,” said Elisse Glennon, executive director of the NJ Sharing Network Foundation. “This event sends a powerful message to the community about the importance of organ and tissue donation.

To sign up for NJ Sharing Network’s 5K Walk & USATF-Certified Race, visit www.NJSharingNetwork.org. To learn more, get involved and register as an organ and tissue donor, visit www.NJSharingNetwork.org or call 1-800-742-7365.

About NJ Sharing Network

NJ Sharing Network is a non-profit, federally designated organization responsible for the recovery and placement of donated organs and tissue for New Jersey residents in need of life-saving transplants. NJ Sharing Network partners with Donate Life America, a not-for-profit national alliance that drives communities to increase their numbers of registered donors. NJ Sharing Network honors those who gave, pays tribute to those who received, offers hope to those who continue to wait, and remembers the lives lost while waiting...for the gift of life.

About NJ Sharing Network Foundation

NJ Sharing Network Foundation is committed to supporting the work of NJ Sharing Network and to increasing the number of lives saved through education, research, donor family support and public awareness about the life-saving benefits of organ and tissue donation and transplantation.