Lori Smith, an Edison township resident, spoke with mycentraljersey.com as she marked a major milestone in her life on Dec. 16, the 10-year anniversary of her life-saving kidney transplant at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center. Her journey highlights the importance of organ and tissue donation and the powerful impact it has had on her life and family.
Smith found a match for a successful transplant that saved her life thanks to Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center’s Living Donor Kidney Exchange Program. Smith’s husband, Marc; their four daughters, Ariana, Tara, Marissa, and Annaliese; and several friends were evaluated for transplant compatibility, but none of them were a strong match. Barbara Miller of Cobleskill, N.Y., donated one of her kidneys in exchange for Tara (Lori’s daughter) donating one of her kidneys to someone else. Their acts of kindness helped spark a living kidney donor chain that saved five lives through transplant. Read here.