Lafayette Native Awarded Transplant Scholarhip

The Jessica Beth Schwartz Memorial Scholarship is pleased to announce that three organ transplant recipients are the winners of its 2020-21 higher education scholarships.

The Jessica Beth Schwartz Memorial Scholarship is funded through the Transplant Foundation, the charitable foundation which supports the mission of Gift of Life Donor Program. Each year, the scholarship program issues $2,500 awards to transplant recipients seeking higher education. The scholarship was created in memory of heart transplant recipient Jessica Beth Schwartz.

“Each year I am inspired by the challenging journey these young men and women have experienced at such a young age,” says Jessie’s mother and scholarship co-founder, Janice Schwartz-Donahue. “I am grateful to have the opportunity to continue to honor my daughter’s legacy by helping these students pursue higher education.”

2020-2021 Scholarship Winner:

Jackson Heller – Lafayette, NJ

At just two years old, Jackson was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia, his chance of survival were “slim to none.” In February 2004, he received the gift of life through a liver transplant. Now, 15 years later, Jackson is able to live his life like a normal teenager spending his time with friends and serving as soccer captain. He has made it his mission to educate his classmates and teammates on the importance of registering as an organ donor.

“I pledge everyday that I let people know about my story so that in the future, unfortunate kids such as myself will receive the same blessing and miracle that I did fifteen years ago.”

Jackson plans on attending West Virginia University this fall.

Jessica Beth Schwartz Memorial Scholarship

Just a few days after she was born, Jessica Beth Schwartz was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. Her heart and body began to slow down by the age of 14. But thanks to someone who said yes to organ donation, Jessica was able to experience eight and a half additional years of life.

A total of 65 students have been awarded scholarships since the fund was created in 2003 in her honor.

To be eligible for the Jessica Beth Schwartz Memorial Scholarship, students must be an organ or tissue transplant recipient under the age of 25, seniors in high school, or be enrolled in a two or four-year college, university, trade or technical school.

To contribute to the Jessica Beth Schwartz Memorial Scholarship Fund, or for more information on scholarship criteria, visit www.jessiesday.org.

Gift of Life Donor Program

Gift of Life Donor Program is the non-profit, federally-designated organ procurement organization, working with 128 acute care hospitals and 15 transplant centers to serve 11.2 million people in the eastern half of Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware. Thanks to its compassionate community, for the past 12 years, Gift of Life has coordinated the most life-saving organs for transplant in the United States. Its annual donation rate ranks among the highest in the world. Since 1974, Gift of Life has coordinated more than 50,000 life-saving organs for transplant, and approximately 1.5 million tissue transplants have resulted from the generosity of donors and their families. One organ donor can save the lives of up to eight people, and a tissue donor can improve the lives of more than 75 others. For more information or to register, visit donors1.org.