(upbeat music) - Hi, I'm Jacqui Tricarico on location at the New Jersey Sharing Network's Celebration of Life here in New Providence, New Jersey.

I have the opportunity to speak with so many incredible people here today, honoring and celebrating the gift of life, organ donation.

One of those people is Jessica Jenkins.

She is the wife of organ donor, Jay Jenkins.

It's so great to have you with us.

- Thank you.

- Thank you for sitting down with us.

First, I want you to tell us about your husband, Jay.

What was he like as a husband and as a father to your son, Tommy?

- He was wonderful.

He just, you know, supported me in everything I did and he was my best friend.

He was a great dad, unfortunately, not for very long, but, you know, the little time that he had spent, he got to spend it all with Tommy, so it was great.

- So in 2020.

- Yeah.

- At the height of COVID, the unimaginable happens.

You have a six-week-old baby and Jay suffers a fatal brain aneurysm.

First, I'm so sorry that, you know... You never think something like that would happen to your loved one.

- [Jessica] No.

- Having the six-week-old baby at the same time, I can't imagine what you were going through.

- It was a lot.

- Yeah.

But talk about when you were approached about organ donation, because Jay was a registered donor, right?

- Yeah, so I didn't have to make that decision because he checked the box, which is very important because they listen to what you want personally.

And I was approached, I mean, immediately they had said that he was an organ donor and that they were going to donate his organs and you know, it was just like a no-brainer because he was able to.

And really you have to kind of die like a specific way to be able to donate your organs.

It's not just anybody can do it.

So once, you know, he was able to, the Sharing Network put everything into action and took over and did all of the things that needed to get done for it.

- What was it like working with the Sharing Network during that time and also what was it like for you emotionally knowing you were honoring what Jay wanted?

- I mean, the only thing I could do was hold onto that hope of honoring him and wanting everything that he wanted to do and give and be able to show to my son and show to him, you know, that his dad's a hero.

And just from the very beginning, the Sharing Network was just so supportive.

I have a cousin who works for St.

Joe's and she actually is part of the Sharing Network organization for that hospital and she really was the one who kind of took over and did all of the things because it was really hard with the baby and everything to be able to do all of that.

So they really just supported me and did it and handled it all.

- That family support's so important.

I'm sure the Sharing Network became another family for you and yours as well.

- Absolutely.

Absolutely.

- So talk about, discussing organ donation prior to Jay passing.

I know he was a registered donor but was it a conversation that you had?

Had you already checked the box?

- I mean, the box is checked now.

- Okay, so it wasn't checked before.

- It wasn't.

- Okay.

- You know, it was not something that you really talk about or think about.

It's not something that... You know, I mean, Jay had just done it and he wanted to do that.

We had discussed a few things here and there, but I mean, we were young, so he was only 34, so it wasn't something that was on the forefront of our minds, but because he checked it and I knew that that's what he wanted, it was like a no-brainer to do it.

Now knowing more about it and knowing that we do need to tell everybody to do it because it just helps and it saves so many lives.

- It really does.

And also who was impacted?

How many lives did Jay impact saving lives with his organs and impacting those who needed tissue donation?

- So he was able to donate his eyes and his heart and bone marrow.

So the bone marrow is hundreds of people.

His liver, yeah, so a lot of people.

There is a way that I can find out through the Sharing Network, they have all the information.

I haven't gotten that far yet.

- Part of your grieving journey.

- Part of the grieving journey and, yeah, I mean, it's... I've met recipients here at the walk and just seeing them and then they come up to you and they say, you know, thank you and this is amazing.

And seeing them, you know, be able to live their lives to the fullest because of things that like my husband did, Jay.

- Talk about a little bit more about being here at the 5K event, especially with Tommy.

How important is it for you to show him and be here with your family?

You have a big team, Team Jay Birds, right?

- [Jessica] We do.

We do.

- [Jacqui] Talk about the team a little bit being here and honoring Jay in this way.

- Everybody that shows up is, it makes my heart so big because I know it's for me and for Tommy and for Jay and to just keep his memory alive.

And it's a day that is for him and I get to remember him and I get to, be with all of my people remembering him.

The Sharing Network... The first year that we did the Sharing Network, it was actually virtual.

We did it two months after Jay passed and- - That must have been really difficult.

- It was, but because it was virtual, it was just us.

So we were just walking around the streets of Chatham and doing it and it kind of got me into it because that was a really hard time so to just, baby steps into it.

Then the next year when everything finally opened up and we got to see like what it was really like, it was just so incredible.

And then every year since then I've just wanted to get more people and make our team bigger and really just, you know, have a good time.

- Yeah, and how has that helped you with your grieving process?

Building this team, coming here every year, having a specific event each year that's really dedicated to Jay?

- It gives me a purpose and it gives me, you know, hope, you know, that I can spread as much as I need to to help anybody that needs to have any of the information.

I mean, this foundation is just truly remarkable and you know, to even just to support them and you know, raise money for them and all of that is really special.

- And how does Tommy do when he's here?

- Oh, he's great.

Mr.

Social.

- Oh, I love that.

Yeah.

- He's so great and he runs around and he looks forward to it every year.

And, you know, we say all day that my dad's a hero.

- Yeah.

Finally, how has Jay's gift really influenced the way that you look at life loss and helping others?

- So you know, just having such a tragedy happen so fast and at such a young age, just to know that he was able to help has given a lot of comfort in the grieving process.

Knowing that he was able to do something, you know, it's helped me move forward.

And then every year coming here, it's just a celebration that that's what he did, a celebration of life.

- It really is.

Thank you so much for sharing his story to help us spread the message of organ and tissue donation, how important it is and have an amazing time here today.

- We will.

Go Jay Birds!

- Thank you so much.

- Thank you.

- [Narrator] One-On-One with Steve Adubato is a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by New Jersey Sharing Network.

Hackensack Meridian Health.

EJI, Excellence in Medicine Awards.

A New Jersey health foundation program.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

PSE&G.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The Russell Berrie Foundation.

NJM Insurance Group.

And by The Center for Autism Promotional support provided by Meadowlands Media.

And by Insider NJ.

- NJM Insurance Group has been serving New Jersey businesses for over a century.

As part of the Garden State, we help companies keep their vehicles on the road, employees on the job and projects on track, working to protect employees from illness and injury, to keep goods and services moving across the state.

We're proud to be part of New Jersey.

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