Short Hills Resident Who Got Liver Transplant Passes On The Love

MILLBURN, NJ — Melissa “Missy” Rodriguez of Short Hills was the first 10-year-old to receive a successful liver transplant to save her life. Now more than 30 years later, Missy continues to lead an active, fulfilling life as an accomplished athlete, successful student earning two graduate degrees, and mother of three healthy boys.

Established in 2015, Missy’s Miracle Scholarship Fund has raised more than $90,000 towards scholarships for high school students and additional programs supporting organ and tissue donation awareness.

Missy’s Miracle Scholarship Fund awarded two scholarships, in conjunction with the Sharing Network, to recognize graduating high school seniors whose lives have been touched by organ and tissue donation and transplantation. Each student was individually presented with their scholarship award at the NJ Sharing Network’s headquarters in New Providence during a private ceremony in the Landscape of Life Meditation Garden.

Missy’s Miracle Scholarship Fund’s 2020-2021 scholarship winners are:

• Jessica Buron of Marlboro (2020 graduate of Middletown High School North) is a certified volunteer for NJ Sharing Network and has raised approximately $5,000 for the organization by creating teams for its 5K Celebration of Life events. She plans to attend Baylor University in the Fall.
• April Doyle of New Providence (2020 graduate of New Providence High School) was moved to connect with NJ Sharing Network after the unexpected passing of her close childhood friend, Maddie, who gave the gift of life to restore the health of seven people. April is the captain of the Miles for Maddie 5K Celebration of Life team, and she organized fundraisers and has spoken at community events as a certified volunteer for NJ Sharing Network. April plans to attend Stockton University in the fall.

The Foundation’s scholarship program applicants were measured on academic achievement, community and volunteer efforts, extracurricular activities and advocacy for organ and tissue donation. The application process was completed in June, and applications were reviewed by a committee of the NJ Sharing Network Foundation Board members and volunteers.

“I am proud to join forces with NJ Sharing Network to help educate our local communities about the power of organ and tissue donation,” said Rodriguez. “This year’s winners, Jessica and April, serve as perfect examples of what it means to take an active role in supporting these important outreach efforts.”

“We are grateful for the generous support of Missy’s Miracle Scholarship Fund and their ongoing commitment to rewarding students who share a commitment to our life-saving mission,” said Elisse Glennon, executive director of the NJ Sharing Network Foundation. “We know that all of our scholarship recipients will continue to be strong leaders in educating others about donation and transplantation as they move forward to begin college.”

For more information about NJ Sharing Network’s scholarship programs, contact scholarship@njsharingnetwork.org.

About NJ Sharing Network

Dedicated to saving lives through organ and tissue donation, NJ Sharing Network is the non-profit organization responsible for the recovery and placement of donated organs and tissue for the nearly 4,000 New Jersey residents waiting for a life-saving transplant. With headquarters in New Providence, NJ, the organization, selected by NJBiz as one of the state’s “Best Places to Work” for the third consecutive year, is also part of the national recovery system, serving the nearly 115,000 people on the national waiting list. To learn more, get involved and register as an organ and tissue donor, visit NJSharingNetwork.org.

The NJ Sharing Network Foundation is committed to increasing the number of lives saved through innovative transplant research, family support, public awareness and education about the life-saving benefits of organ and tissue donation and transplantation. By making a contribution, you empower our efforts, bringing us a step closer to providing the greatest gift of all, the Gift of Life.

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