Grateful Jersey City patient Lavis McCray, who received a life-saving kidney transplant at Hackensack University Medical Center, will support the organ transplant department and help transform care for other patients like her. We are sending donations through DIY fundraisers.
Lavis started dialysis in 2015, shortly after he was diagnosed with kidney failure at age 35. Over the next seven years, serious health and personal challenges arose for this special education teacher as she suffered from end-stage renal disease. By 2022, Lavis had lost her ability to walk due to her surgeries and setbacks, and she suffered from internal bleeding, sepsis, and even COVID-19. Her situation became so dire that Lavis was placed on Hackensack University's medically necessary transplant list in 2023. In March of the same year, she received her life-saving kidney transplant from her deceased donor. Although her prognosis is good, Ms. Lavis will have to take her medication for the rest of her life. Fortunately, she no longer requires dialysis and has more energy and a lot of gratitude.
“This time last year I was dying, and now I'm alive…I was given this miracle and I want to give it back,” says Lavis. “I am so grateful to the medical team at Hackensack. Dr. Michael Goldstein and the organ transplant department are the most wonderful people you will ever meet in your life. They provided a holistic approach to my care and For example, when I had an emotional breakdown during a long trip, she suggested counseling.
LaVise's fundraiser coincides with National Donate Life Month, which focuses on the need for organ, eye and tissue donations. This commemoration emphasizes the importance of donor registration and honors both deceased and living donors by celebrating the lives saved.
By sharing her story, Lavis hopes to raise awareness and share the hope and resilience that have defined her journey.
“I wanted a way to say thank you and honor my donors,” said Lavis, who became a widow during the health crisis. She also volunteers with the NJ Sharing Network, is a dialysis educator, and is an active member of the TransplantLyfe Forum, a community of recipients, donors, caregivers, and professionals.
“The challenges have made me a stronger person,” she says, crediting her faith, family, friends and medical team. “Hackensack stuck with me from the beginning. She wants to help others get the same opportunities that were given to me.”
We are so proud of Lavis and know that her desire to give back will help patients. We wish her all the best! If you would like to learn more about how you can support the organ transplant department at Hackensack University Medical Center, please contact Courtney Klein, Director of Development, at courtney.klein@hmhn.org.