A $10,000 gift from co-founders of the Wave Set nonprofit organization will support the newly established Joseph S. Roth Simulation Center, a state-of-the-art training facility at NJ Sharing Network’s headquarters in New Providence.
Cameron and Jared Wohl, of Little Falls and Livingston, announced the philanthropic contribution in a heartfelt celebration of the 10th anniversary of their lifesaving liver transplant.
The Simulation Training Center is crucial for enhancing the education and training of health care professionals, ensuring they are well-equipped to manage organ and tissue donors and support families, ultimately helping to save more lives.
“Contributing to the Simulation Training Center and the hands-on training it will provide in a real-world setting is our way of giving back to NJ Sharing Network and the community that has supported us throughout our transplant journey. As a former educator, and having been a living transplant donor, it means so much to be able to play a part in maximizing organ donation outcomes at NJSN and helping to save and enhance more lives through education,” Jared Wohl said.
“Our contribution is not just about honoring our 10-year milestone; it’s about investing in the future of organ and tissue donation and ensuring that NJ Sharing Network’s teams have the best training possible to make the biggest impact on the number of organs recovered and, ultimately, number of lives saved,” Cameron Wohl added.
A decade of gratitude and advocacy
On Feb. 11, 2014, Jared Wohl, then 27, donated 65% of his liver to his younger brother, Cameron, then 24, who was battling primary sclerosing cholangitis, a rare autoimmune disease impacting the bile ducts of the liver, via a living donor transplant. The successful transplant marked the beginning of a new chapter for both brothers, who continue to advocate for organ and tissue donation awareness and education.
The Wave Set: spreading awareness and educating
In 2013, leading up to the transplant, Jared and Cameron Wohl founded the Wave Set, an organization aimed at raising awareness and educating the public about the importance of organ and tissue donation, while showing the world that “We Are Vital to Each Other.”
Now a named fund of the Sharing Network Foundation, the Wave Set has been instrumental in promoting organ and tissue donor registration and supporting donor families. In 2016, they launched a crowdfunded documentary, “65 Percent,” depicting their family’s journey through the transplant experience and offering a poignant look at the impact of organ donation. The documentary can be viewed at sharingnetworkfoundation.org/the-wave-set. Since then, the Wohls have planned and executed speaking engagements and fundraising events to support the Wave Set’s mission.
A full-circle journey
Cameron Wohl’s post-transplant journey led him to pursue a career in health care. After becoming a Registered Nurse, he worked in the operating room at University Hospital in Newark, where he had the chance to collaborate with one of the surgeons from his transplant team. Wohl now works as a field clinical specialist, introducing new therapies to physicians to optimize patient outcomes, combining his passions for patient care, relationship building and technology.
Looking ahead
With Cameron Wohl’s primary sclerosing cholangitis in remission and the recent birth of his son, Lucas John, the Wohl family has much to celebrate. The brothers, along with their families, continue their mission of spreading awareness and educating the public about organ and tissue donation.
“One way we can save more lives is to get more people to sign up as registered organ donors and consider living donation,” Jared Wohl said.
Cameron Wohl added, “Perhaps even more important is sharing those wishes with your family.”
