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[INSPRATIONAL MUSIC] - Welcome, I'm Steve Adubato to a very compelling important remote program, and we kick off with a good friend who's wrote an extraordinary book, an important book, a book you really need to read.

It's called "Live Like Sean".

And the subtitle is Important Life Lessons from My Special-Needs Son.

Our good friend TJ Nelligan wrote this book together with Theresa DiGeronimo who's also a good friend.

Hey, TJ, good to see you, buddy.

- It's an honor to be here, Steve.

Good to see you again.

- So I'm not gonna assume that people know exactly who Sean was and what happened.

Well, TJ share with us because I'm too close to this story.

- Yeah, Steve has known my son for over 20 years and I think the message in this book is really to live like Sean.

When I wrote his eulogy, I came up with little anecdotes and stories and I came up with the term live like Sean.

Not when it's easy, not when it's convenient, but every day.

And that meant being kind to other people.

Not rushing through your day like a type A personality and thinking about the next thing on the agenda.

We always think it's a destination.

He had gratitude, he couldn't spell gratitude but he lived it every single day.

And someone like me and you that have type A personalities we're running the race.

The problem is when you get to the goal, you move the goalposts.

So you're never happy 'cause you never get there.

And the first 10 years I was in college sports, I realized looking back, I didn't have any pictures, any memories because I was just rushing to get to the next goal.

And then the last 15 years with Nelligan Sports with Sean working at the company and we represented colleges and universities and built a great company.

I realized by living like Sean, it was a journey.

And so I talk each day be present with the person you're with, Don't look over your shoulder to see if there's someone more important to talk to, spend that quality time with the person you're with at that moment.

- By the way, TJ, not only a great successful entrepreneur, but the former chairman and CEO of the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games.

Sean passed away on Father's Day, a couple of years ago.

And we were there at the service recognizing Sean and TJ moved over a thousand people by what he said and the fact that he was able to do what he did and how he did it was extraordinary.

Why did you say what you did that day about Sean?

Who we're blessed to know.

And then how soon after did you decide about the book?

- Well I think I realized for about, since he was about 19 and he passed away at 29, I realized he was an extraordinary human being.

His mom, Maggie, his two sisters, Moira and Meghan always said he was an angel on earth.

He was always happy every day.

He didn't worry about past decisions, future decisions.

We never left the sporting event early.

And we always said that inspiration can come from the most unlikely places.

So his sisters always said, "Oh, we thought we would have to protect Sean and teach Sean about life.

And the fact is, he taught all of us more than we could ever teach him."

And the funny part about the book as you know.

I got done with the eulogy, Steve came up to me and hugged me and said, "That was great, that's the outline for your book."

And I said, "Are you out of your minds, a book?"

And then, he got me in touch with Theresa DiGeronimo who's my co-writer.

And I said, you know what?

I'm gonna do this.

It was therapeutic.

I cried more than I laughed.

But at the end of the day, this was a great message.

And I figured, Oh, we'll print 200 books we'll give them to his cousins and his teammates and his coaches and then it took on a life of its own.

And it came out January 19th and by the 23rd, it was number two on new releases on the Kindle.

So it was absolutely amazing.

And Sean Loved to see his team's in the top 25 and the book got into the top 25 one day.

So I think he's laughing at me and he would say, "stop, I don't have a book."

And I tell everybody, it's not my book, I'm just the messenger.

This is Sean's book, Sean story.

And I'm the messenger here just like I have been for the 20 years involved with Special Olympics through Sean.

- All the years we were together at sporting events or golfing charity situations that TJ was involved in.

Sean was always there, with me, you, our good friends, Nicky Materazzo and Andy Duke, Sean, always a smile number one, right?

- Right.

- Always hugging, always wanted to connect with people on a very personal level, regardless of who they were.

There's a great story in here about, tell me about the senator that was swimming in the pool real quick.

Max?

- We were on vacation and Sean in those days, he was like 14 years old and he would get up at 5:30 in the morning.

So I told his mother, I'll take him down to the pool, we found a bagel, we got a juice and there's a guy swimming in the pool with no legs and one arm.

And I'm looking all around at the beautiful weather and the guy shimmies his way up onto his wheelchair by himself.

And I realize that's Senator Max Cleland from Georgia who was in the Clinton administration later.

- That's right.

- And Sean yells out to him like he does to everybody.

"Hey buddy, you're a great swimmer, that was awesome."

And he wheels right over to us and we end up having a discussion.

Sean and Max were talking for five minutes, I'm not even in the conversation.

And he says, "Oh Max, this is my dad, TJ."

And I said, "Hi Senator, nice to meet you."

I wanted to let him know, I know who you are.

Then I forget all about the story.

He asked Sean, "Can you wheel me up to the elevator?"

Even though he didn't need any help and he made him feel important.

We were in the lobby that night for dinner and I had forgotten all about the story.

And we're there with his sister, some cousins and his mom and my parents.

And all of a sudden, here comes Max Cleland with a suit and tie and a bunch of aides around him.

And he sees Sean and he points to his people to take him straight to us.

And as they're on their way toward us, my father hits me and goes, "Isn't that, that Senator from Georgia?"

And I go, "Yes."

And he have no idea what's gonna happen next.

Max comes over and he's like, "Hey, my buddy Sean, how are you my man?"

And we started talking to him for a little while and then when we got done speaking with Max, we go to get a cab and we needed two cabs.

And the valet comes in and there's a line of 20 people And he goes, "Hey, Sean, (indistinct), how you doing buddy?

"What do you need?"

"We're going to dinner?"

"How many people?"

"Oh, all these people."

So he yells at the other valet "Get two cabs for Sean over there in the front."

And my dad said, "Wow, I've seen it all.

This kid is the most powerful person in the family."

- True, it happened in this book, by the way, here it is again, "Live Like Sean" by TJ Nelligan with Theresa Foy DiGeronimo, Important Life Lessons from My Special-Needs Son.

TJ is very raw and very real in this book.

And this describes when he and Maggie first realized that Sean was challenged in this way.

And gratitude was not a word that was in your vocabulary, T?

- No, in the beginning-- - At that time.

- The hardest part for parents because you find that you take home what you thought was a perfectly healthy baby boy, you have hopes and dreams for your first child.

And then a couple of years later, we find out he has all these issues, through one of the top neurologists in the country.

And from there, you go to physical therapy and speech therapy and doctors and medicines and it's torture.

And then there becomes a day when he got into his teens where you realize, his dreams weren't shattered.

My dreams were shattered.

He's perfectly happy to be alive.

He's the happiest guy in the world.

He doesn't know what he can't do.

He only knows what he can do.

- Yeah - He couldn't ride a two-wheel bike, so we got him a three-wheel bike.

He became really good at basketball, loved sports, loved this teammates and hugged everybody.

And that's the thing I miss most.

- To our friends, Andy and Nick and also Tommy Varga.

I mentioned Tommy Varga is a great friend as well.

So many people that Sean touched, Hey, T, let me ask you this, in the minute we have left.

In the middle of COVID with everyone struggling to focus on what we can't do, what we don't have, what do you think?

And we miss Sean so much, you and Maggie more than anyone else.

What do you think Sean would say about this?

- Well, I don't think he'd get that he can't go to sporting events, he can't hug anybody, it would be torture for him.

But the lessons in the book are simple.

Especially this time where our country's so divided, he was accepting of everybody.

He knew that everybody just came in different packaging and he was kind to everybody, he was persistent, he was present in the moment and he was just an angel on earth like his sisters always said.

- TJ Nelligan, a friend, entrepreneur, a dad, an extraordinary author.

And I told you then, the day of the service for Sean I'll tell you again, you're making a difference my friend.

Thank you, TJ.

- Thank you, Steve.

Been honored to be on with you.

Thank you.

- As always, I'm Steve Adubato, that's TJ Nelligan and we'll be right back.

(grand music) - [Announcer] To watch more State of Affairs with Steve Adubato, find us online and follow us on social media.

- We are honored to be joined by Andrea McChristian, who is Law and Policy Director at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.

Good to see you.

- Good to see you too, Steve.

Thanks so much for having me.

- You got it.

By the way, check out our website which you'll see up there for past interviews we've done with the great, Ryan Haygood who leads the organization that Andrea works with.

Part of our series Confronting Racism.

See the graphic up there as well.

The 2021, 2022 action agenda, for racial disparities in the state of New Jersey, particularly for minority youth, Andrea, what is it and why does it matter now, more than ever?

- Sure, so I think Steve, that's such an important question in this time where both nationally, we're seeing so much racial unrest and injustice highlighted by the recent insurrection at the Capitol but here, in New Jersey, we're also seeing that this is a critical election year, with every single seat in the New Jersey legislature up as well as the governor's seat.

And so while many have rallied around the proclamation of black lives matter, at the Institute we really wanted to put actions behind those words, by creating our 2021 through 2022 action agenda to make black lives really matter in New Jersey.

Because we wanna make sure, that the people who want our vote this key election year, are responsive to issues that are the utmost important to communities of color here in the city.

- Andrea, let's identify the top two or three and we'll continue to talk.

Go ahead.

Those issues are?

- Sure, so we think closing the racial wealth gap is an issue of the utmost importance.

Here in New Jersey, we have one of the starkest racial wealth gaps in the country, with a white family making $352,000 median net worth, highest in the country, but only $6,100 for black families.

So what are we looking at to close that racial wealth gap?

We're looking at baby bonds.

That's something that governor Murphy has prioritized in the past that, we're working with legislators to advance now, we're looking at guaranteed income programs.

Here in Newark they had a guaranteed income taskforce and other cities throughout the state, are also starting up their own pilots.

We're looking at expanding home ownership opportunities, particularly for black communities, since we know there is that divide within home ownership between black and brown communities and white communities in the Garden State.

And we're also looking following the national level as well, canceling student loan debt.

We know that's one of the major drivers of the racial wealth gap in addition to home ownership.

And we wanna make sure that people who are already having their wallet stretched during the COVID pandemic don't have to worry about student loan debt as well.

- Since you mentioned the COVID pandemic, talk about disparities, racially based disparities, as it relates to the delivery of healthcare, A and B, this COVID pandemic that we are facing, but the African-American community facing, much more deeply than others.

- Sure Steve and so, kind of as I highlighted, New Jersey is home to some of the starkest racial disparities along a bunch of different issue areas.

We have the highest black to white infant mortality rate in the nation.

We have the highest black to white youth incarceration and adult incarceration disparity rates in the country.

Starkest racial wealth gap, use of force is disproportionate against black people, hospitalizations, everything kind of comes to a head in the Garden State.

And so, there were already huge racial inequities, preexisting before the COVID-19 pandemic which has just exacerbated them.

Because as we know, black and brown communities tend to be essential frontline workers disproportionately, tend to live in more crowded housing or subject to the digital divide, at more extensive levels than their white counterparts.

And also don't have access to the same adequate healthcare.

There was an article that came out just today in the New York Times that was talking about here in Newark, where it's about, which is over 80% black or latino.

- Right.

- One in 342 residents has died from virus related complications.

And so we're seeing the COVID-19 pandemic, feeding upon the racial disparities that already existed to disproportionately harm these communities even further.

- So... - No, go ahead.

- Well, let me just try to follow up on that.

I've mentioned the Tuskegee experiment many times, okay?

And again, I keep referring people to it but tell me if my interpretation is correct?

During the 1930s, there were a series of experiments that the government sponsored, where African American men were, it was an experiment around syphilis.

They were given syphilis.

They were Guinea pigs.

and that in many ways has created much not alone, but much of the distrust of the healthcare system in this country.

Is that an accurate interpretation of it?

- Sure.

I think Steve to your point, distrust of the medical community because of Tuskegee and a number of other just generational impacts, has led to distrusting one of the factors and why kind of the healthcare distribution, is the way it is within black and brown communities.

But in addition to that, something that we do need is data.

Data really serves as the foundation of kind of everything that we need to develop systems, policies, practices, to one breakdown that distrust and distribute as effectively as possible.

And here in New Jersey, we have incomplete data.

The data that we have shows that yes, half of those vaccinated have been white and very few have been blacks or latino, but that's incomplete data.

Something that we've also pushed the state for in partnership with coalition members is we were able to successfully advocate for New Jersey releasing data publicly on COVID-19 deaths, hospitalizations, cases by race and ethnicity.

But the state has failed to release that information at the local level.

At the simple level, which is exactly what we needed.

- But sorry for interrupting Andrea.

As we tape this program, the 2nd of February, it's not released.

Is there a sense that it's gonna be released say in the next month, 90 days, whatever next 30 to 60, 90 days or is it just not gonna be known?

- We've gotten no indication, we've asked, we've had advocacy tools, we've reached out to the state to say, when are we getting this data?

And we've been met with a number of different explanations, but have not been given the data that we need, that is required by the law.

- Let me ask you this.

And the time we have left, about a minute left.

In spite of everything that you just said, which matters a lot.

Can you encourage people in the African American community, to get the vaccine?

- Sure, we encourage people to do the research they need, to feel comfortable with taking the vaccine if that's what they choose to do.

But we think that what is critical, is making sure that everyone has the information they need, everyone understands where they can get the vaccine and to know that, there is at least an attempt by the state to break down that mistrust which is been built over so many different generations.

- Yeah.

Real quick.

I shouldn't do this because I have to go to the throw.

January 6th, the insurrection at the Capitol, do you believe a significant portion of that part of it was racially motivated?

- It was white supremacy personified.

Where there was a challenge to a legitimate election, legitimate results and instead of dealing with it in a fair democratic way that this country would welcome.

There was an insurrection at the Capitol, with white supremacy as the foundation.

- And the other part of that foundation is that, many of those folks believe that, the disproportion of the results, they said that didn't count or were stolen or cheated or people who are black.

That's just a fact.

Andrea I wanna thank you so much for joining us, we appreciate it.

Our best to Ryan and the entire team at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.

You honor us by being with us.

Thank you, Andrea.

- Thank you so much, Steve.

- I'm Steve Adubato stay with us, we'll be right back.

(grand music) - [Announcer] To watch more State of Affairs with Steve Adubato, find us online and follow us on social media.

- We're now joined by Dr. Thomas Cavalieri, who is the Dean of the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine.

Good to see you, doctor.

- Well, good to see you too, Steve.

Thank you for inviting me.

- You got it.

Doctor, this is part of our ongoing series on vaccine awareness, what people need to know.

A question, what is Rowan University's role in this vaccine rollout, if you will?

- Well, here at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, the Stratford campus of Rowan University, we actually have developed the Rowan University Vaccination Center here.

So Rowan University is helping to support one of the mega sites at the Rowan College of South Jersey, which is pretty much run by the Gloucester County Department of Health, but Rowan University's actual Vaccination Center is here on our campus.

- So- - Go ahead.

- I'm sorry, Doctor, there's a little delay here.

We're taping on the 2nd of February.

This will be seen after, lots of changes about having a lot to do with vaccine supply, right?

We're actually taping this in the middle of a pretty heavy snow storm.

We're praying that weather gets better, but that's not the only issue.

Let me ask you this.

From your perspective, Dr. Cavalieri, how much is what you and your colleagues are doing at Rowan based on the vaccine supply?

- Well, it's pretty considerable, because obviously, Steve, you can't vaccinate people without the supply.

So here on Rowan University's Vaccination Center, we're considered a large site.

So in the eyes of the Department of Health, whom we've been working with closely, Commissioner Persichilli, and essentially, as a large site, we administer between four and 500 vaccinations per day, Monday through Friday.

And I will tell you our experience thus far, we have not had a problem with supply.

Now I know nationally, that's an issue.

I know some other sites have had a difficulty, but we've been fortunate that we've been able to get the supply we need to meet the needs of the community we're serving, giving somewhere between four and 600 vaccinations per day.

- So Dr. Cavalieri, in the spirit of awareness, if you will, particularly for those who are confused, concerned, they don't know exactly what the facts are.

Your expertise is in the area of geriatrics, right?

Geriatric medicine.

My mom, who's watching I know right now, I'm never gonna say my mom's age, but like a lot (Dr. Cavalieri chuckling) of others wanted to, and she was fortunate enough to get the vaccine.

Question, is there any issue for older people, say 75 plus, with the vaccine, or does it depend upon underlying conditions?

- It's really both.

As one ages, our immune system isn't as good as it used to be.

This is well known.

So as people age, their susceptibility to various infections increases.

So age alone is an independent risk factor to develop COVID-19.

Also chronic conditions are, of any age.

So even if you're younger and you have diabetes, heart failure, kidney failure, those types of things, you're at higher risk.

So what happens is- - So let me ask you this, Doctor, hold on for a second, Doctor.

- Sure.

- So this was confusing to me.

I have high blood pressure, but you know, being managed.

Is that by itself a potential issue?

- I would say managed- - 'Cause I'm not alone, I'm not telling you to be talking about myself, it's millions of people who have some degree of high blood pressure.

- Right, I would say high blood pressure managed in and of itself is probably not a higher, put someone at a higher risk, but certainly diabetes, heart failure would, chronic kidney disease would.

So there are certain chronic states that put someone at higher risk.

So, Steve, getting back to your other question with regard to the elderly, when you think of it this way, elderly people have increased risks simply because they're aging.

But also we know that chronic diseases like the ones I mentioned, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, et cetera, they increase as people age as well.

So it's a double effect.

And that's why for example, eight out of 10 of the deaths that occur from COVID-19 occur in people over 65, it's really the composite effect of aging and chronic disease that come together to put the elderly at such high risk.

- Real quick, and by the way, Rowan University, let me disclose, is one of our higher ed partners supporting our health care and educational programming.

Let me ask you this.

Students at Rowan are actively involved medical students.

Talk about that, got about 30 seconds on that please, Doctor.

- Yes, our medical students here at Rowan SOM are actively engaged in our Vaccination Center.

In fact, I will virtually tell you their involvement in this center is critical to the center's success, and these students are caring, they're compassionate, they really want to make a difference.

We call our program here Operation Save Lives, and I tell the students every shot they give in an arm, they've potentially saved a life.

So they are so enthusiastic about this.

- Doctor, before we wrap up, I need to ask you this.

Again, taping on February 2nd.

You'll see that, we always disclose when we're taping, it'll be seen after, and we don't know exactly how this plays out, but with the variants.

To what degree do these multiple variants more and more being identified in the United States, in New Jersey, and the country, to what degree does that concern you as it relates to what one or two shots, depending upon the vaccine you get, that it will cover it, or is there a booster involved in your view?

- You know, it's difficult to say for sure.

It does concern me.

These variants do seem to be able to transmit from one to another.

That is of concerning.

So far, we have every indication that our existing vaccines will be effective.

However, there is that uncertainty whether that will continue.

So it does concern me, at least for now, we're good, but there's concern about the future.

- Important information, and by the way, we refer people to the state website, to the CDC website, to get more information, because as these programs repeat, you will see that information up there, because things are changing quickly, not just by the week or the day, but by the hour and the minute.

Dr. Thomas Cavalieri, Dean of the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, we thank you very much, and to the students down there and everyone involved in this initiative, thank you for everything you're doing everyday.

Thank you, Doctor.

- And thank you for having me, and thanks for the good work you're doing to get this information out to the community.

That's essential.

Thank you.

- We're all in this together.

Thank you, Doctor.

I'm Steve Adubato.

Thank you so much for watching, and we'll see you next time.

- [Narrator] State of Affairs with Steve Adubato Is a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

University Hospital.

New Jersey Sharing Network.

The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

NJM Insurance Group.

The North Ward Center.

MD Advantage Insurance Company.

And by Suez North America.

Promotional support provided by Meadowlands Chamber.

And by New Jersey Monthly.

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