On May 12, 2006, Neal Bira suffered a heart attack that damaged his heart so severely that he would need a transplant to survive. Because of his critical condition, Neal was placed at the top of the transplant waiting list and shortly after received a heart. Upon meeting his donor family, Neal was inspired to create the Organ Donor Awareness Foundation, which seeks to increase organ donor awareness, raise money for education and life's necessities, and provide professional support for the children and families of organ donors. "Someone gave me life," said Neal. "In return I am compelled to give back."

Neal's Story

On May 12, 2006, Neal Bira suffered a heart attack, after which it was determined he would need a heart transplant. "When you are 54 you want to think about living life," said Neal, "but I was faced with waiting to have my life saved by the gift of life." Neal had never given the prospect of receiving a transplant, or being registering as a donor, for that matter, any thought. "I had been asked to be a donor when I would go to the DMV, but I really didn't know what that meant," said Neal. "Organ donation was not as mainstream as it is today."

Because of his urgent need for a new heart, Neal quickly moved to the top of the transplant list. Three months after his heart attack, Neal received a heart transplant, he would later find out, from Sallustiano DeJesus. "Sallustiano became my hero and the heartbeat of my life," affirmed Neal. "He renewed my life and my purpose."

Upon meeting his donor family, Neal learned that Sallustiano's son Jeffrey wanted to go to school to become a professional chef. That knowledge served as Neal's inspiration for the Organ Donor Awareness Foundation, which seeks to increase organ donor awareness, raise money for education and life's necessities, and provide professional support for the children and families of organ donors.

Since moving to South Florida, Neal thanks Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency in Miami for supporting his efforts to give donor families hope for a better tomorrow. "Someone gave me life," said Neal. "In return I am compelled to give back to those families who saved not only my life, but the lives of so many others."