Sam Prince

Type of Donation:             Heart recipient

Age and Location:             Age 16 – North Caldwell, NJ

Transplant Date:               March 14, 2011

Sponsor:                               Honored by NJ Sharing Network

SAM’S STORY

Sam was born with multiple congenital heart defects, which kept him from engaging in the typical joys of childhood, such as going to school, riding a bike and running through the playground.

For the first seven years of his life, Sam thrived as best he could, undergoing numerous surgeries and depending on medication, until the time came when he desperately needed a new heart and was placed on the transplant waiting list. When he was 8-years-old, he received a life-saving heart transplant at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital at New York-Presbyterian.

“It was a fabulous gift. It saved and changed my life forever,” Sam says. “I have many people to thank—most importantly, my donor and my donor family.”

After receiving his transplant, Sam no longer needed the assistance of a stroller and he could make it up and down stairs on his own. He was finally free to live the life of a normal first-grader and enjoy the activities his new heart would grant him, including, and especially, giving back to others.

Since his transplant, Sam has dedicated his life to doing just that. He and his family are passionate advocates for organ and tissue donation. Sam speaks to audiences, particularly his peers, about his transplant journey and the importance of organ donation on behalf of NJ Sharing Network. Through Sam’s Lemonade Stand, he has raised thousands of dollars to support the organization’s Foundation in its efforts to increase the number of lives saved through innovative transplant research, family support, public awareness and education about the life-saving benefits of organ and tissue donation and transplantation.

Sam, now a sophomore in high school, enjoys playing basketball, collecting Pez dispensers, traveling, cheering on his favorite sports teams and living his life to the fullest every day. He is looking forward to competing in the 2020 Donate Life Transplant Games of America and is honored to be riding on the 2020 Donate Life Float at the Rose Parade.