Woman from Wayne, New Jersey, writes children’s book after kidney transplant
2 minutes reading time
Watch the emotional farewell of a dying nurse who gives her a final gift
Pediatric nurse Patrice Sanders of Madera, California, continued her generosity and donated her organs after suffering a brain hemorrhage.
WAYNE — It was like some kind of miracle or special providence that saved Jean Sime when her kidneys stopped working.
Or maybe it was just because someone was listening to her.
Sime, 58, a resident of the township, thought back to the years before her transplant as if it were her previous life – the one she would like to forget. She spent up to nine grueling hours a week in a dialysis clinic, where a machine drained her blood, cleaned it and pumped it back into the circulation of her ailing body.
But everything changed, she says, after a phlebotomist told her story to a nurse who happened to be a volunteer organ donor.
“When I heard her voice,” Sime said, “I knew she had my kidney.”
POTENTIAL SALES OFFERS: Wayne is negotiating the purchase of the YMCA to expand its recreational offerings
Tuesday marked the five-year anniversary of Sime’s surgery, and she said she now devotes most of her time to raising awareness about organ transplants.
She is celebrating the recent publication of the children’s book “Howl is Thankful for Kidney Donation,” which she co-wrote with Brenda Cortez of Franklin, Wisconsin.
Cortez, a kidney donor and founder of BC Books, a limited liability company based in her hometown, created the “Howl the Owl” book series and branded merchandise to inspire kindness.
All ten books in the series deal with organ donation – a topic that Sime says is not talked about enough.
“It’s like a taboo,” said Sime. “It affects many people, but nobody talks about it.”
The numbers are clear.
According to federal statistics, 17 people die every day while waiting for an organ transplant.
More than 46,000 transplants were performed in the United States last year, but thousands of people, including 2,151 children, are still waiting for life-saving operations.
Sime hopes her book will encourage readers to become organ donors and provide encouragement to families who are waiting. She also hopes children’s hospitals will purchase copies of the book and make it available to their patients for reading.
“This is my way of giving back,” Sime said. “This is my way of being grateful for the gift I have been given.”
The 28-page book is the third collaboration between Sime and Cortez.
Sime co-authored “Because of Organ Donation,” a collection of 25 stories compiled and published by Cortez in April 2021.
A year later, she wrote the opening story for Voices-19: Their Legacies Live On, another collection by Cortez. Each chapter in that book chronicled the life of a loved one who died from COVID complications.
Sime wrote her article about her late sister, Vivian Meitzler of Bloomfield, and the latest book, “Howl the Owl,” is dedicated to her memory.
To purchase a copy of the book, visit the BC Books website at bcbooksllc.com.
Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news in your local community, subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: [email protected]
Become an organ donor
Every 8 minutes someone is placed on the waiting list for a transplant in the United States.
To register as an organ donor with the National Donate Life Registry, visit the NJ Sharing Network website at njsharingnetwork.org.
Aries Horoscope Today, July 04, 2024: Discover what the stars say about your career, finances and love | Horoscope today
Australian singer Vance Joy headlines the first night of the 2024 Vida Music Festival
This 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series with 165 miles is no ordinary grand tourer
About The Author
