Lourdes Transplant Patients Raise Organ Donor Awareness at Rowan-Rutgers Lacrosse Game

Oaklyn residents Krystal and Nicole Valianti have a deep bond. Last year, when 21-year-old Krystal was diagnosed with kidney failure and needed a transplant, her older sister Nicole stepped up to donate. The transplant took place at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center.

The sisters recently participated in an organ donation awareness night at the Rowan vs. Rutgers-Camden lacrosse match. Krystal, a student-athlete at Rutgers-Camden, recently became the second player in program history to score 100 goals. Nicole is a junior varsity field hockey coach at Collingswood High School and an assistant for lacrosse at Rowan University.

“Organ donation is not as scary as I thought,” said Nicole. “Giving Krystal my kidney helped save her life and I am thankful I was able to do that for her.”

The Lourdes Transplant team was on-hand to celebrate the Valianti sisters’ accomplishments and promote organ donation. Lourdes has performed more than 1,300 transplants and is the only organ transplant center in South Jersey.

Pictured: Krystal Valianti, student and lacrosse player at Rutgers Camden (left), with her sister Nicole Valianti, assistant for lacrosse at Rowan. Nicole donated her kidney to Krystal last summer. The transplant took place at Lourdes. The sisters recently participated in an organ donation awareness night at the Rowan vs. Rutgers-Camden lacrosse match.