A Gift That Changed Everything: New Providence Woman Reflects on Life After Pancreas Transplant

A Gift That Changed Everything:
New Providence Woman Reflects on Life
After Pancreas Transplant

(New Providence, NJ) – As the new year inspires reflection and renewed purpose, Marissa Gold — a New Providence resident and school counselor at Governor Livingston High School in Berkeley Heights — is marking 14 years since her life was transformed by organ donation.

Marissa received a lifesaving pancreas transplant on January 11, 2012, after living with Type 1 diabetes for more than 25 years. Despite extensive medical care, her condition remained dangerously uncontrolled, leading to frequent loss of consciousness and serious complications that threatened her future.

“I knew I was heading toward a major crash,” said Marissa. “The transplant felt like my one real hope — and it truly changed everything.”

After just a few months on the transplant waiting list, Marissa received the call in the early hours of a cold, rainy morning and soon underwent surgery at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. The impact was immediate.

“The difference was life-changing,” she said. “Everything — my energy, my health, my outlook — felt different almost right away. For the first time in my life, I felt well.”

In the years that followed, Marissa faced unexpected medical challenges that were not related to her transplant, including vision and hearing loss resulting from complications of a serious illness. Even so, she remains unwavering in her belief that the transplant gave her not just more time, but a better life.

“If someone told me they could give me my vision back but take away my transplant, I would never do it,” said Marissa. “My life is so much better because of my organ donor.”

Today, Marissa lives independently and continues to thrive both personally and professionally. With the help of adaptive technology and her service dog, Ocean, she remains fully engaged in her work and daily life.

As a school counselor, she has supported and inspired students at Governor Livingston High School for more than a decade. She also speaks with students and community groups about resilience, accessibility, and the lifesaving impact of organ and tissue donation. Outside of work, Marissa leads an active lifestyle, training with an adaptive running group and participating in CrossFit.

“I feel like I found my inner athlete,” said Marissa. “I’m doing things now that I could never safely do before — and that’s something I don’t take for granted.”

Marissa has written to her organ donor family over the years, expressing gratitude for the gift that forever changed the course of her life. She is optimistic that she will receive a response and continues to honor her donor’s legacy by advocating for NJ Sharing Network.

“Organ and tissue donation doesn’t just save and enhance lives,” she said. “It changes the entire arc of someone’s future. Your legacy continues in ways you may never see — but they are truly meaningful and lasting.”

According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), more than 100,000 Americans — including nearly 4,000 New Jerseyans — are currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. One organ and tissue donor can save eight lives and enhance the lives of over 75 others.

To learn more about organ and tissue donation or to register as a donor, visit
NJ Sharing Network’s website at www.NJSharingNetwork.org.

ABOUT NJ SHARING NETWORK
NJ Sharing Network is a federally designated nonprofit dedicated to saving and enhancing lives through organ and tissue donation. Partnering with 54 hospitals across New Jersey, the organization brings hope to nearly 4,000 residents awaiting a lifesaving transplant and supports the national effort to help more than 100,000 people on the U.S. transplant waiting list. To learn more, get involved, or register as an organ and tissue donor, visit www.NJSharingNetwork.org.

For information:
Contact: Gary Mignone, NJ Sharing Network
Email: gmignone@njsharingnetwork.org