Heart Recipient Ready for 5K Fundraiser

Joseph DiSanto of Hillsborough, once near death, will participate in a 5K run on June 9 to show his thanks for his second chance at life.

His life turned upside down eight years ago. He was 11 years old at the time and had gone to his family doctor for a routine physical so he could attend basketball camp that summer. Noticing something unusual during the examination, his doctor initially thought he might have pneumonia.

DiSanto underwent several tests. He was later diagnosed with an enlarged heart.

His health quickly began to deteriorate. Within months, he was put on medication and told he would need a heart transplant if the medication did not fix his condition.

It didn’t fix it.

Shortly after, DiSanto was rushed to the emergency room at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where he later slipped into a coma. He was stabilized and taken to Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York Presbyterian in New York City for heart transplant surgery.

Still not strong enough to undergo surgery, DiSanto remained hospitalized for three months before getting the operation. He received a new heart on July 8, 2006, from a young Peruvian woman who died in a car accident near Washington, D.C.

“I knew surgery would change my life but I didn’t know how much. I never thought I would be able to play sports again or do stuff with my friends,” said DiSanto. “Today I’m able to do things like play ping pong and golf because a generous organ donor saved my life.”

DiSanto, now 19 and a sophomore at Monmouth University, will be participating in the third-annual Walk and USATF Certified 5K Race sponsored by the NJ Sharing Network on June 9 to honor his donor’s memory.  He is a member of Team Liberty, comprising 15 family and friends.

“It feels great to volunteer at NJ Sharing Network; it is something I do throughout the year,” he said. “Participating in the 5K is a great way to spread the word about organ donation, while raising funds for NJ Sharing Network. This is also a great way to keep reminding family and friends to spread the important message about organ donation.”

DiSanto now speaks at schools about the importance of organ and tissue donation and volunteers at NJ Sharing Network, the non-profit organization responsible for the recovery of organs and tissue for nearly 5,000 New Jersey residents awaiting transplants.

“I would not be here today if weren’t for my donor. And that’s what I tell people,” he said. “I also tell them how important it is for people to donate organs.”

DiSanto, an incoming sophomore at Monmouth University, is considering working for a non-profit organization after graduating college so he can continue to help encourage others to become organ donors.

“Right now I’m studying communications and I hope to go into the non-profit field when I’m done with school. In the meantime, I’ll continue to stuff envelopes at NJ Sharing Network, talk to people, or do whatever it takes to show them how important this is,” said DiSanto.

To learn more about organ and tissue donation contact NJ Sharing Network at 1-800-742-7365 or visit www.NJSharingNetwork.org to register as an organ and tissue donor.