Point Pleasant Beach Couple Save Others After Son's Death

POINT PLEASANT BEACH – A Point Pleasant Beach couple is fighting for support for organ and tissue donation in the name of their late son. And they found a way to help others in the process.

With the assistance of NJ Sharing Network, Michael and Lucy Patriarca of Point Pleasant Beach united with two of the four people whose lives saved by the gifts of their late son, Alexander, who tragically passed at 24 years old.

In December 2019, they met with his heart and kidney recipient, Bill Hoffman. Surrounded by family and friends, they greeted one another with hugs and tears, exchanged small gifts, and took turns listening to Alex’s heartbeat in Bill’s chest.

Two months later, they united with Alex’s lung recipient Ed Walsh, and his wife, Tammy. The day Alex died was the Walsh’s son’s birthday, and Ed’s restored health was the best gift the young man could ever receive.

“Out of our tragedy those families had a triumph,” said Michael. “I think it’s important that we connected with them and understand their stories.”

The occasions also gave the Patriarcas a chance to tell them how Alex was a loving and giving person who excelled at sports. He was an amateur boxer, a bartender and had a half-year left of college. “It means the world to us that they were willing to meet,” said Lucy.

Joe Roth, president and CEO of NJ Sharing Network, appreciates the Patriarca family’s support and the efforts of its thousands of local volunteers and healthcare partners.

“Donate Life Month has always been a time to rally around the importance of organ and tissue donation, which we have traditionally done through community events and activities,” said Roth. “Although we will not be able to do in-person activities this year, our team of dedicated staff and volunteers are driven to spread our life-saving message using our online platforms.”

NJ Sharing Network’s National Donate Life Month webpage (www.NJSharingNetwork.org/DLM) features informative videos, flyers and social media graphics to share with others.

Celebrated in April each year, National Donate Life Month features local, regional and national activities that encourage Americans to register as organ and tissue donors and to celebrate those who have saved lives through the gift of donation.

All are encouraged to wear blue and green to promote the importance of organ and tissue donation and transplantation. Enter NJ Sharing Network’s Blue and Green Challenge for great giveaways. Get creative - dress up your pets in blue and green, decorate your home or workplace, take photos and e-mail them to socialmedia@njsharingnetwork.org or post on your social media page and tag @NJSharingNetwork.

NJ Sharing Network is the federally designated non-profit organization responsible for recovering organs and tissue for the nearly 4,000 New Jersey residents currently waiting for a life-saving transplant. With headquarters in New Providence, NJ, the organization is part of the national recovery system, serving the 110,000 people on the national waiting list.

NJ Sharing Network was selected by NJBiz as one of the state’s “Best Places to Work” for the third consecutive year. To learn more, get involved and register as an organ and tissue donor, visit www.NJSharingNetwork.org.