Honoring my Angel Sister
“She’s my sister, my best friend, my soul mate, and the best part of me.”
With so much excitement, I am welcoming back Team Hailey! This is my absolute favorite time of the year – to honor Hailey in such a fun and unique way! I cannot wait to share this beautiful time with all of you – to love and remember our angel of Heaven, a day aside from the rest.
2024 will mark the sixth year that Team Hailey will be attending the NJ Sharing Network’s 5K Celebration of Life! This event allows for us to come together with other Donor Families, Living Donors, and Organ and Tissue Recipients, to Honor, Remember, and Give Hope through donation. I encourage you all to navigate to the Team Hailey Homepage, or to our Team Captain’s Personal Page, to read more about the NJ Sharing Network, Hailey’s story and how we became involved with this organization, and what the 5K Celebration of Life is and why we participate in this event every year.
For those of you who are new to my page, allow me to introduce myself! My name is Morgan, I am the daughter of Janet Palumbo, the team captain for Team Hailey. More so, I was Hailey’s older sister. Hailey was the light of my life. Not only a sister, but my best friend. She made me laugh until my stomach hurt; she always made me smile from ear to ear; we did anything and everything together. She was truly a genuine soul.
Connection to Donation: As you may have, or may not have, read on the Team Hailey Homepage – Hailey was involved in the Junior Air Force ROTC Program in high school. Her dream, or what was recognized as a goal in life, was to enlist in the Air Force – to perform her duties – which then after serving, she wanted to enroll in higher education to become a surgeon; she wanted to save lives. Hailey’s dream was drastically cut short due to a life-threatening motor vehicle accident at the age of fifteen. Because Hailey is not able to fulfill her goal on her own, I knew it was me destine to do it for her. I completed college with a focus on a career in healthcare; my dream was to become a nurse, as it would be my job to help save and enhance the lives of my patients, just as Hailey had wished for herself. Realistically, her dream of saving lives did come true – in a way that could never be taken for granted. Fast forward through my college years, I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in Health Profession Studies – with a double-minor in Integrative Health and Psychology. I knew my next step was to apply for a nursing program; but, God had other plans in store for me.
“The secret of success is to be ready when the opportunity comes; and the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” I could not have been any more excited in that moment to announce that I had accepted a job offer that I knew I could not pass up! Being a part of such an amazing organization, as a Donor Family Member, for – at that time was five years and counting – made the decision very easy. I am blessed to say that I now work for the NJ Sharing Network, with so much honor and proudness of how far I had come; I knew I was now something so much more than that Donor Family Member. I was officially part of something that has given me such a true sense of purpose, meaning, but most importantly, love and support in the hardest of days. From the very beginning, I knew this is where I was desired to be. I am so proud of the person I have become and all the dedication I put into the life-saving work that I do. I am proud of myself for never giving up, no matter how tough the journey became. I take so much pride in the person I have become because I have fought hard to develop into the best version of myself. I am proud of the choices I have made that led me to where I am today, and it is all for and because of Hailey that I am here.
By joining Team Hailey, you are choosing to be a part of something big. You are choosing to come together with all who loved and cherished Hailey, to remember such a beautiful life taken too soon. Team Hailey comes together to raise awareness for organ and tissue donation - to Honor those who gave and received the Gift of Life - to Remember those whose lives were lost, and for their family, who in a time of immense grief, chose to have their loved one’s organs and tissue donated, to save and enhance the lives of others - and to Give Hope to those awaiting a transplant. Because of the NJ Sharing Network, spreading awareness of organ and tissue donation has become a huge part of my life; and because of the NJ Sharing Network, organ and tissue donation is possible. I would love to encourage all those who join to become an advocate for organ and tissue donation too.
Please sign up for Team Hailey, and walk with us in honor of Hailey’s life; we always know and feel that Hailey is walking alongside of us too! It would be very kind of you to spread the word to those who may not know why we do this or who we honor; feel free to send out/post this link for the world to see! If you cannot attend the event, and would like to DONATE ONLY: Click the “Contribute Now” button and follow the instructions, this will allow you to donate any dollar amount you’d like! As always, all proceeds go to the Sharing Network Foundation.
With so much love, Morgan.
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