Community Corner

Daughter Saves Edison's Mom's Life with Her Kidney

Adele Albanese's life was saved by the organ donation of her daughter, Donna. The Albanese women celebrated at the NJ Sharing Network's annual dinner.


Edison resident Adele Albanese was in desperate need of a kidney transplant. The person who came to her rescue was her daughter, Donna, and in doing so, she saved her life.

The Albanese women - Mother Adele, Donna of Scotch Plains, and other daughter, Maria DeLauro of Clark - celebrated life at the NJ Sharing Network Foundation's 25th anniversary dinner and auction, held April 12 at the Short Hills Hilton.

The women were among the more than 300 organ and tissue donors and recipients the event honored, as well as New Jersey hospitals that support the organ donation and transplantation community, the organization said in a statement.

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Adele and Donna Albanese participated in an evening highlight, the 'Walk of Life' ceremony, where a living donor or family member walked with an organ or transplant recipient to call attention to the lives saved and honored by donation.

“Our 25th anniversary dinner and auction was a celebration for those given the gift of life through organ and tissue donation, and an opportunity to honor the families of organ and tissue donors,” said Joe Roth, president and chief executive officer of NJ Sharing Network. “It was also an opportunity to thank members of the organ donation and transplantation community for saving lives each and every day.”

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Mary DiNardo, the widow of Det. Marc Anthony DiNardo of the Jersey City Police Department who was killed in July, 2009, was honored with the organization's 'Ray of Hope' award. Mary DiNardo made the decision to donate her husband’s organs and tissue, and three New Jerseyans were saved through the donation of the detective’s heart and two kidneys, while countless others benefitted from the tissue donation, the organization said.

 and were among the local entities that supported the event.


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