(upbeat music) - We're at the New Jersey Sharing Network in beautiful New Providence, New Jersey.

This is the 5K, And we're here with Lakisha Bray, Vice Co-Chair of the Sharing Network Board.

- Yes.

- Good to see you again.

- Good to see you.

- Talk to us about this 5K and why it's so important.

- This 5K is so important to me, not only as a donor mom, a volunteer, a advocate, a board member, it allows us to continue to share and spread the word of organ and tissue donation all throughout New Jersey, all over America.

- So for those who did not see you last time with us, Talia, your daughter.

- Yes.

- Tell us about her and why her life, why the gift that she gave to others was and continues to be so important.

- Talia was my miracle baby.

She came in this world a miracle, and she left the same way.

Talia transitioned on August the 14th of 2014 due to having a seizure and having no brain activity.

- [Steve] 21 years of age.

- Right before her 21st birthday, yes.

- The gift of life, how did that happen for her?

How was that decision made?

- For myself and my family, it was really a no brainer.

We had already decided in the possibility that there was no brain activity, that we wanted to donate her organs and be able to give someone else a fighting chance at life.

- A tough decision?

- It wasn't a tough decision because I believe that we were all put here for a purpose.

So my purpose was to make sure that my daughter's legacy lived on whether it was, you know, through other means or through the means of organ and tissue donation.

- And, you know, when someone says your story, your story's your life, it's not a story.

Your sister, Tabitha?

- Yes.

- Just a few months later.

- Yes.

- Talk, experienced what?

- So my sister Tabitha had been sick for quite some time and no one could ever figure out what was going on with her.

And while she was in the hospital at St. Peter's, there was a resident doctor that was doing rounds at the hospital, and he saw my sister and said that he can help her.

And come to find out my sister was in need of what is called an intestinal transplant, you know, who knew?

I didn't even know that intestines can be transplanted.

And that was on February the 10th when we took her to John Hopkins to do the workup and everything, to get her all prepped, to make sure she was a good candidate.

And unfortunately, on her 36th birthday, which was February the 25th, Tabitha took her last breath and transitioned that day.

So while my daughter was able to give the gift of life six months prior, being able to save three people's lives from here in the state of New Jersey, my sister transitioned six months later in need of a transplant.

- What's this done to you and for you?

- For me, going through what I'm going through as far as a grieving process, I don't know what it is to grieve.

So I put every inch and every part of me, my soul, my heart, my mind, into advocating for those that are waiting, those that are on the fence of whether or not they should be donors or not, and that's how I cope.

And you know, for some people, they don't know how to deal with that, you know?

And for me, like my heart really goes out to our recipients, those that do receive the gift of life because they suffer so much with remorse and guilt on why they were chosen.

So for me, I am their voice to let them know that I made that decision for you.

That is not a weight that you have to carry as an individual or why as a donor mom, I made that decision to be able to give you that honor to continue your life.

- But you've gone beyond that because of the 4,000 people in New Jersey waiting for an organ, 68% of them are people of color.

- Yes.

- That is clearly not the population, the African American population, the Black and brown population in the state of New Jersey.

Why is there such a disproportionate statistic that represents so many people of color waiting for an organ?

- You know what it is, it's so many different things that's out there, you know, in the media, word of mouth, people talking to each other about, you know, organ and tissue donation.

And for us, in the African American community, it's just not talked about a lot, especially like in our low income areas, and it's like they don't understand the actual need to actually be a donor.

So for me to be able to advocate for my friends, my family, the people from where I come from, they need to know what the need is.

- How do you do that?

- I go out- - Just in Newark the other day, right?

- Yes.

(chuckles) - You know it well.

- Yes.

- You were just there doing what?

- I was at St. Paul's Baptist Church on Badger Avenue supporting the church there, they had their community day there.

The whole month of April, I think I volunteered or was at any type of event at least three to four times a week the whole month of April.

Just now recovering from surgery, one week.

- You?

- Yes.

- Here at the 5K?

- Yes.

- Doing all that?

- Yes.

- Why?

- Because you know what?

I can't let anything discourage me or get me down.

It was like once the doctor cleared me and said, "You know what?

June 3rd, you're good to go," I was right back out there.

So this past week, we did a talk, myself and one of the other board members over at Trinitas Hospital.

The next day, we were at the Bonnie Raitts concert at the New Jersey PAC Center advocating.

So we advocate as much as we can.

If I'm in a grocery store, shopping for hair, anything, you know, people ask me, "Oh, what does your bracelets mean?"

- [Steve] You got yours?

- Exactly, oh, we have white lettering now.

(laughs) - [Steve] I gotta get a new one, this is old.

- Yes, so- - [Steve] So people ask about it?

- Yes, they do, they ask about it.

And I said, "Oh, let me tell you about organ and tissue donation," and I start with letting them know I am a donor mom.

And then, they ask me, "What is a donor mom?"

So when they engage with me, "Oh, well, let me tell you about a donor mom."

And then I proceed to let them know that during my daughter's transition, she was able to save three lives from the state of New Jersey by organ and tissue donation.

- Before I let you go, for this great race, we're here in New Providence, it's the annual 5K New Jersey Sharing Network, message to everyone watching, particularly those in the African American community right now about organ and tissue donation.

- Organ tissue donation is so, so important to us.

We have so many different people that are on dialysis, so many people that have been on the waiting list, waiting for such a long time, and it's very hard to match African Americans.

I want everyone to know that everything that you hear out in the media and what you hear from other people, you need to get educated, you need to come out to the community events.

We here at the New Jersey Sharing Network, our doors are always open just to come in for a visit.

If there's any questions or anything that you don't understand or you thought about or you wanted to be able to be a donor, please give us a call, go to our websites.

All the information that you need is there, and we're also here to serve and to help you in any way possible.

- You're making a difference.

- Yes.

- Keep doing it.

- Yes, thank you.

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

Celebrating 30 years in public broadcasting.

Funding has been provided by Hackensack Meridian Health.

New Jersey’s Clean Energy program.

Johnson & Johnson.

Valley Bank.

The Russell Berrie Foundation.

Rowan University.

The New Jersey Education Association.

Delta Dental of New Jersey.

And by The Fidelco Group.

Promotional support provided by Meadowlands Chamber.

And by BestofNJ.com.

(light music) - The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, in partnership with utility companies throughout the state, can help you save money and create a more comfortable home through Comfort Partners, a free program that helps income-eligible customers reduce their utility bills through cost-effective measures that save energy, including lighting, hot water heaters, large appliances, heating and cooling improvements, insulation, and much more.

Learn more at NJCleanEnergy.com/CP.