On Sunday, May 6th, I went to Philadelphia to attend the Gift of Life Family House Dedication.  I made the trip with Jam for Life President, “Papa” Carl Anderson and his wife Jean.  I’m the Secretary of the Foundation.  It was a beautiful day and the three of us had an amazing time walking around the family house, and talking to others who support  organ and tissue donation and helping families involved in the transplant process.  As soon as you walk into the house you receive an overwhelming feeling of positive spirit.  The walls are decorated with signs of hope, and the abundance of smiling faces who greet you around every corner instills a sense of belonging .  As the day proceeded we realized just how special the Family House really was.  We heard heart wrenching stories of families who have had to call the Family House their home away from home while their child was in CHOP, and we were introduced to some of the people who made the Family House possible.  This made me realize just how much our efforts meant.  I always try to spread the word about organ and tissue donation wherever I go now.  Whether I’m at school or simply hanging out with some of my friends I always try to let people know how much organ and tissue donation really means in terms of saving lives.  However, when you actually see your efforts manifested into something such as the Family House you finally understand why you work so vigorously to spread the word.  When you finally get to see how much a family appreciates everything you have done for them your heart feels a little bit warmer.  After the main presentation ended, Papa Carl, Jean and I got to venture up to the room the Jam for Life raised money to build.  In order to build this room the Jam for Life Foundation needed to raise twenty five thousand dollars, and we succeeded.  We did this with the help of all the talented musicians and artists that were part of the Jam for Life’s main events for the past few years.  Without them none of this could have been possible.  Those musicians and artists taught me that music is more than expressing your thoughts and feelings through song, it also consists of helping others in need.  You can change the world with music and love.  We walked down the second floor hallway to room 208.  A huge smile ran across my face as I saw the Jam for Life Foundation sign right outside of the door.  We opened the door to our room and a ray of sunlight lite the way as we came across a stunningly beautiful room with two beds and a gorgeous bathroom.  As we took our first steps into the room joy sprang across all of our faces.  Walking away from the Family House that day looking back on everything we did to make that room possible made me feel elated.  To think that I helped someone in need in a very real and concrete way made my efforts all worthwhile.  I am so grateful that I got to be a part of something so big ! This can help so many people and make their lives easier in a very hard time.  The City of Philadelphia is a major transplant location in the US.  More transplants are done at the various hospitals in the Philly area than anywhere else in the Nation. That means a lot of people travel from all over the country to receive treatment in Philadelphia.   I will continue my efforts to spread organ and tissue donation awareness with the help of the Jam for Life Foundation everywhere I go, knowing that what I’m doing is helping people live better lives.  Before meeting Papa Carl on that fateful night about two years ago, I hardly knew anything about organ and tissue donation.  Thanks to him and the entire organ and tissue donation community I now realize just how special this cause really is.  It not only saved Papa’s life and many others, but it could eventually save someone’s life that you care  about.  As I travel on in whatever life has planned for me I will always remember how I made a difference in  people’s lives through supporting organ and tissue donation.  This organization has taught me that dreams aren’t impossible to achieve, and that when you dedicate yourself to something you can always come out victorious.

Alexis Schulz