(upbeat music) - I'm here with my colleague, our correspondent, "One-on-One" special correspondent, Jacqui Tricarico, who joined me for the annual New Jersey Sharing Network.

That's an organization committed to organ and tissue donation, their annual 5K race.

Jacqui, tee up the interview that you did that people are about to see, which is really compelling.

- Steve, we got to speak to so many incredible people at this event, but the interview you're about to see is with Rachelle Burk, she's an author of a children's book called "A Gift of Life," and Jackie Salvatore, who works with families at the New Jersey Sharing Network.

Families who are going through organ and tissue donation in all different ways.

And I get to speak with them about this incredible book really being used as a tool for children because to help children understand and cope with so many of the different feelings that they could be going through when you're talking about organ and tissue donation, and, you know, on all the different ways that people could be impacted.

Is it a family member that passed away and donated their organs or is it a family member that's receiving a lifesaving gift?

There are so many emotions that can go on during that process, and this book helps children deal with all of those emotions and put names and words to what they're feeling because the book's really filling a void, that were not seeing too many children's books talking about organ and tissue donation, and it's happening and children are impacted.

So a really great tool, really great book.

You can pick it up on Amazon.

And Rachelle and Jackie were just so great to speak with to hear their perspective about the entire experience.

- One of the many compelling interviews that Jacqui Tricarico did at the annual 5K race with the Sharing Network.

Let's check it out right now.

- Hi, I'm Jacqui Tricarico on location at the New Jersey Sharing Network Foundation's 5K Celebration here in New Providence, New Jersey.

And I'm so pleased to be joined by Rachelle Burk, the author of this beautiful book, "A Gift of Life," and Jackie Salvatore, who is the Manager of Family Services at the New Jersey Sharing Network.

Thank you so much for, for being here with us.

- Thank you.

- So Rachelle, you've been an author for all your career, writing many books.

This book is a little different, this project a little different for you.

Tell us how you got inspired to write about organ and tissue donation.

- Well, it's always been, organ and tissue donor's always been something that's very important, since I was, at a very young age, I was inspired by my mother, who was a blood donor.

So this was before organ donation.

And so she would take me, one of my earliest memories is when I would go with her when she donated blood on a regular basis.

And she sadly died of a brain aneurysm when I was just 10.

And I know that she would have absolutely wanted to have been an organ donor.

And so it was important to me to sign up as, you know, register as a donor.

I was a blood donor, I'm on the Marrow Donor Registry, and my children did the same when they were old enough and- - And your daughter actually is in Sharing Network.

- And then my daughter became an employee of the Sharing Network, she's a nurse and so it's just remained an inspiration.

And so regarding the book, I learned that there really weren't any books about this subject.

It was kind of surprising to me because there children's books about everything but nothing about this.

And there are a few that focus on the journey of an organ recipient, let's say a child who needs a new heart, but there was nothing that honors the donor, and with the focus being the donor or the families of the donor.

And because I was a social worker for 35 years and I'm an author, I thought I'm gonna be the one to write that book.

I decided I wanted to write that book.

- And you wrote this beautiful book, this story, Jackie, you were the first one to read it I heard.

- I did, I was very lucky.

I was so excited when I heard that there was even an idea to do this, because working with families, there are a lot of children we work with, and it's so hard for the families to have the language.

How do you talk to kids about this?

They know something's going on, but they don't quite understand.

So I was so glad to hear that she was interested in this, and you know, I was able to take a look at it the first time.

It was amazing from the start, you know, and I was able to give feedback kind of based on what would be great within what kids really hear, what do they need, what do they need to know?

How can we present this to them in a way that makes sense for them and their families.

- And how have you seen this being used as a tool so far with the work that you're doing within families and their journey through organ and tissue donation?

- I've already, even though it just came out, I've already been able to share it with quite a few families, and I cannot tell you the positive feedback I've received.

You know, I had one family who's been going to grief support groups for the last year, and she said, you know, my daughter now is looking at this idea of a gift as a totally different concept, you know, and what her father was able to give.

I've worked with recipients who've met their donor families, who've given the book to them and to their kids, you know, and that had that impact as well, and to support them through it, it's been really a blessing.

- And talking about the book, obviously the words, and how important it was to use certain language for children to understand, but the imagery, the beautiful illustrations that we see in this book.

Talk about the illustrator, Benjamin, because he has a specific story too, really connected to organ and tissue donation.

- This is really an amazing part of the story, because I don't have a personal connection to an organ donor or a tissue donor.

It was really important to me to have an illustrator who does have a personal connection, and it was serendipitous really.

I just Googled, children's book illustrator organ donation.

- Wow, was it that easy?

Google.

- I came up with one name only, one name.

- Wow.

- And it was Benjamin Hummel.

So what's the chance that it's going to be the type, and you know, of illustrations, the style that I would like, and I looked at his work online and oh my God, this is perfect.

This is perfect.

And so now it was just fingers crossed that he would be interested in this.

But he was of course very interested, because he is a two-time liver transplant recipient.

- [Jacqui] Wow.

- And it's a very important topic for him and he agreed to do it.

And he also teaches illustration at college level.

So he was able to do more than just the illustrations.

He was able to do book design, and book layout, and his work is not digital, he paints every one of the pictures, and then they're scanned in.

So his work is absolutely magnificent.

- It's beautiful.

We'll show pictures of some of the inside too, because it's really such a beautiful story- - Thank you.

- A beautiful book, the illustrations, and in terms of the New Jersey Sharing Network Foundation's part in making sure that this book got created, talk about that.

- So they were integral, they were absolutely integral in having this come forward.

- It was a grant that was given?

- Yep, we have the assistance and the grant to fund it, to have it come forward, to be part of it, to help market it, to help get the word out.

They've assisted the Family Services Department with having enough copies to be able to give them to our families without charge as well.

In addition, it's on Amazon.

So I've been able to share it with our partners throughout the country, you know, so they also can benefit from this resource.

- It's a beautiful story, thank you for writing the story.

- Thank you.

- The earrings.

So we have to give some attention to those because they're gorgeous.

And it's the book.

- Necklace.

- They came in the mail yesterday, like just before I came up here.

- Perfect timing.

- Right.

So, yeah, so I'm excited about that.

- Well, I know we can get this story, we can get the book on Amazon you said, and?

- Hardcover, paperback, as an ebook, and will be in Spanish this summer.

- Yes, we're having Minority Donor Awareness Month at the end of the summer and we are gonna have it in Spanish available for everyone who does need that resource.

It's gonna be amazing.

- That's wonderful.

A great resource for so many families going through so many different aspects of this journey.

Thank you so much both for joining us.

- Thank you very much.

- Thank you.

- [Narrator] One-On-One with Steve Adubato is a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

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