SEASIDE HEIGHTS – Two families have come together to advocate the importance of organ donor awareness by creating “Shore Sprint for Sam” fundraiser.
Back in 2013, Mike Mania was in need of a bilateral lung transplant, or a double lung transplant due to having sarcoidosis.
The rare disease stayed inactive in Mike’s body for many years after his diagnosis in the early 1990s, but then he started to feel the effects of his illness after an abdominal surgery in August of 2004.
This resulted in his sarcoidosis worsening and he started to develop adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which is a condition in which the lungs begin to harden.
This is when Sam Pesaresi saved Mike’s life. Sam passed away on September 6, 2013 at the age of 23 from a brain aneurysm. Sam became Mike’s savior as she was his donor. The day after her passing, Mike received both of her lungs and underwent a double lung transplant. Not only did Sam save Mike’s life, but she saved two other lives by being an organ donor.
To honor Sam, the Mania family created Shore Sprint for Sam in 2019. The fundraiser is for Sam’s Spirit which is a foundation created in Sam’s honor to raise money for scholarships and brain aneurysm research.
“We hold this walk to honor my husband’s donor and to promote organ donor awareness and how important it is to be an organ donor,” Mike’s wife Christine Mania said. “It feels absolutely amazing to be able to somehow give back to a family who made the decision to donate their daughter’s organs at the most tragic time in their life which helped save three lives, my husband being one of those blessed people to received her lungs. One gentleman received her heart and another her liver. It’s my husband, myself and my family’s way to give back to an immeasurable gift of life we received.”
With the second year of Shore Sprint for Sam approaching, Christine encourages everyone to get involved, hoping to spread the word and inform people about how important it is to become an organ donor.
“This event will not only promote organ donor awareness, but her foundation also funds the Gift of Life House, which Sam has a room there in her honor that helps other families going through organ transplant. The foundation also gives scholarships in her name as well as fund brain aneurysm research, which is what Sam passed away from,” Christine said. “With all this, this event wholeheartedly keeps Sam’s Spirit alive and for the family to know that a part of her lives on in others. Not many organ recipients get the privilege of meeting the donor family and knowing who their donor was, so not only are we blessed we have met the family, but for it to be this amazing family who have opened their arms and hearts to us, it truly is a miracle that cannot ever be described in words.”
The 2nd Annual Shore Sprint for Sam 3k Walk will take place on March 28 at the Seaside Heights Boardwalk. Sign in time is 10 a.m. and the walk will start at 11 a.m. at Carteret Stage Avenue.
To register, visit samsspirit.com
