‘Most meaningful thing I’ve ever done,’ Jersey vet donates kidney
In combat, she's willing to give her life for her country, in Florida, she gave her kidney to her best friend. Jamie Mucciarelli, a Trenton girl, and combat veteran rose to the occasion when her friend, who wants to remain anonymous needed a kidney. Here's what she posted on my Facebook page when I asked, "Have you ever donated or received an organ?"
"My bestie and I just did this! We wanted to turn 2020 around!! She is a physician (psychiatrist) at the VA Hospital in NJ, and I was a psychotherapist at the same facility. There we helped veterans confront their mental health concerns; namely PTSD. I, myself, am a combat veteran; and spent four tours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF — Afghanistan)."
She also called into my show on Thursday night, Jan. 28 to talk about it as well, which you can check out below.
"I am a Trenton girl—born and raised," Mucciarelli continued on saying in her Facebook post. "Spent my adult life serving my country in the USAF. When my bestie entered into End Stage Renal Failure I knew I had to AT LEAST see if I was a match. But I had moved to Florida in August of 2019."
But as fate would have it,
"Was I a match? Turns out, I WAS! She received my 9.3 ounces, left kidney on December 15, 2020, at Saint Barnabas in Livingston, NJ. I flew from FL to NJ during COVID each month beginning in September for a myriad of scans, exams, labs, mammograms, chest X-rays, and WAY TOO MANY COVID SWABS!"
After all that, let the operation begin.
"But when I flew up in December, it was GO TIME!! The surgery was a success and we are both on the mend."
Donating her kidney means so much to Jamie.
"Living organ donation was the most meaningful thing I’ve ever done in my 47 years. And I’d do it all over again for her, any day of the week. xoxo
#ISharedMySpare, #SheRunsOnSpareParts."
If you'd like to donate an organ, please go to www.njsharingnetwork.org.
The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Steve Trevelise. Any opinions expressed are Steve's own. Steve Trevelise is on New Jersey 101.5 Monday-Thursday from 7pm-11pm. Follow him on Twitter @realstevetrev.