The month of April is officially recognized as National Donate Life Month—the perfect time to consider the difference you can make in the lives of others through organ and tissue donation. It is because of the decision of one person to say “yes” to organ and tissue donation, Ryan Miller is alive today. Ryan is grateful everyday for the life-saving gift of a heart that he received on January 27th, 2008.

The December before his transplant, Ryan didn’t feel any different. A junior at Monroe High School and an avid soccer player, he was playing in an outdoor soccer tournament when he came home with a bad cold that turned into bronchitis. No big deal. The doctor said go home, rest and if you don't feel better in a few days give me a call. Two nights later Ryan came into his parent's bedroom complaining that he couldn't breathe. His mother, a nurse, suspected pneumonia. The next day they had x-rays done of Ryan's chest. They had barely gotten home when the phone rang. The emergency room doctor had bad news. Not only did Ryan have pneumonia, he had an enlarged heart and needed to be seen by a pediatric cardiologist immediately.

Ryan was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center where he was diagnosed with hypertrophic non-compacted cardiomyopathy. This is probably one of the worst forms of the disease. Almost 100 athletes have died on the field from this undiagnosed condition. The plan was to put him on medication to improve his heart function and implant a defibrillator as added protection. The defibrillator was implanted around December 31. Unfortunately, Ryan's heart was too weak to handle the defibrillator and he went into cardiac arrest. He was put on a ventricular assist machine and went on the transplant list. The next month was a nightmare of complications and set backs. But on January 26th, Ryan and his family received word that a donor heart had been located and was a match and the next day he was successfully transplanted.

Ryan continues to help educate the public about organ and tissue donation. His goal is to serve as an inspiration to other children facing the need for an organ transplant and to remind them all that a transplant is not a death sentence… IT IS A LIFE SENTENCE!

Today, more than 100,000 people in the United States, wait like Ryan did, for a life-saving transplant—over 4,400 of them are here in New Jersey. For many, tragically, the gift will never be received. Nearly 6,000 people die a year – about 15 per day – awaiting the gift of life.

One of the most important decisions you can make in honor of National Donate Life Month is to become a donor. Make the donor designation on your New Jersey driver’s license or ID each time you apply or renew. The words “Organ Donor” will appear on the front of your license and will be included in your computer record with the Motor Vehicle Commission. Due to the recent passing of the groundbreaking organ and tissue legislation, “NJ Hero Act,” coming soon you will be able to make your donor designation through the MVC online though this website!

For other stories of new lives like Ryan's, click here.

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