ARTICLE
Father’s Day is a special time of year for Rajesh Karnani of Paramus, NJ. It is a time when he joins his family members to remember his father, Sham C. Karnani, who unexpectedly passed due to heart complications on March 17, 2010. Rajesh recalls how his father always spoke to family members and friends about his support for organ and tissue donation. His father’s selfless decision to be an organ and tissue donor ultimately restored sight for two other people with his donated corneas. More than a decade later, Rajesh has made it his personal mission to inspire others to register as organ and tissue donors. He actively supports NJ Sharing Network’s community events, activities and fundraisers to help raise awareness for NJ Sharing Network’s life-saving mission. According to NJ Sharing Network, there are nearly 4,000 New Jersey residents currently waiting for a life-saving transplant, and one person in New Jersey dies every three days waiting for a transplant. Just one organ and tissue donor can save eight lives and enhance the lives of over 75 people. To learn more, get involved and register as an organ and tissue donor, visit www.NJSharingNetwork.org. The following was written by Rajesh to pay tribute to his father and help raise awareness about organ and tissue donation and transplantation in our local communities: My father, Sham C. Karnani, was born in India and migrated to New York in the 1970s. He came to America to help ensure that his family has a better life, and he worked as an importer of garments shipped from India and sold to prospective buyers in the U.S. I can talk about my father for hours - about the great businessman he was, how he supported and loved his family so much, or how he would put other people’s happiness over his own. His passion in life was service to his fellow man/woman. What motivated him in life was to make sure that those around him were happy. He was always determined to pay it forward in some way. He was (and still is) not only my role model, but an inspiration, to me and to everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him. He taught me so much - how we are fortunate enough to live a good life, and so it is our responsibility to do our best to help others less fortunate do so too. My father’s major passion for the last two decades of his life was to spread the awareness of organ and tissue donation. His message to others was simple: Organ and tissue donation saves and enhances lives. My father would often say, “When it comes down to it, we can’t take our organs on our journey to heaven. We don’t need them, so why not give others the opportunity to complete the rest of their journey in the present.” On March 17th, 2010, my father unexpectedly passed away while in a temple on a holy day (our Indian new year). He was dancing with the love of his life, my mother. I am proud to say that, upon his death, my father was able to donate both of his corneas to two recipients in need. My father kept a journal of his thoughts that we found after he passed away. His writings confirmed how much faith he had and how passionate he was about donation and transplantation. In the journal, he called it “recycling of organs for the benefit of mankind.” He noted that he believed that most people would want to make the selfless decision to donate their organs and tissue upon death. However, he believed that the biggest barrier is that most people do not let their family members know about their choice to donate. He noted that if only person just lets their family knows, about their wishes, countless number of lives can be saved. My father was also a very spiritual person. He once was able to ask one a spiritual leader his thoughts on the subject of organ and tissue donation. We all remember the spark and happiness in my Dad’s eyes, when this spiritual leader, declared that organ and tissue donation is “the best gift anyone can give to their fellow man or woman.” It has been difficult for us to move on without my father here. Each day, I still expect him to walk through the door. However, I feel comfort in knowing that the gift of sight my father gave helps justify the passion he had all those years on how organ and tissue donation really is the best service we can provide to others. That passion has now been passed down to me.