The Bears: Kidney recipient Ross with Ethan, Henry and Marnie.

Organ Donor Shabbat

Emily Stillman's family sparks a gift of life.

E

248-851-50 0
6881 Orchard Lake Rd.
on The Boardwalk

Don't Forget Your Health
Flies South for the
Winter Too!
-1! /r
•■

4
7 ' +

-

1111'

"- It •

l

ir HOWARD B.
SCHWARTZ, MD

Board Certified,
Family Medicine

Past Chairman,
Department of Family Medicine,
Henry Ford Hospital-West Bloomfield

If you are making your annual trek to

HOWARD B. SCHWARTZ, MD

Florida, your medical care should be at

5430 Military Trail, Ste 62

the top of your list. You can trust Dr.

Jupiter, FL 33458

Schwartz when you are in Florida for the

winter, with more than 30 yrs experience

Now accepting new

patients, call us today to

make an appointment!

(561) 741-5610

and expertise, he provides personalized

care and same day appointments for:

• Treatment of acute and chronic illness

• Urgent/after hours cell phone access

• Preventive care

• Walk-ins welcome

Most major insurance plans accepted.

Jupiter Medical Specialists, LLC

2047570

14 November 12 2015

mily Stillman, 19, was declared
"That news story first prompted my
brain dead Feb. 2, 2013 of bacte-
interest in becoming an organ donor;
rial meningitis.
Baker said. "I remember thinking about it
The Stillmans were informed that Gift
as a possibility:'
of Life Michigan, Michigan's only feder-
Fast forward to spring 2015, Baker
ally designated organ recovery program,
again saw a news story about Emily's gifts.
would be speaking with them. Hesitant,
It invigorated him to know more about
Alicia Stillman said, "Absolutely not, make
live organ donation. Then, he learned his
them go away:'
brother-in-law, Cantor Brad Hayman of
"In our house, we had never talked
Plainview, N.Y., had a close friend, Ross
about organ donation:' she said. "None
Bear, who was living in kidney failure.
of us were organ donors — and then I
Ross just wanted to keep going for his
felt I had made a mistake' The Stillmans
wife, Marnie, and young sons Ethan, 12,
and Henry, 14.
discussed organ donation with
Rabbi Michael Moskowitz of
"I made a decision to look into
Temple Shir Shalom in West
donating one of my kidneys. It
Bloomfield; he told them that
was time for me to do something
donating Emily's organs would
for someone else, if I could:' he
be "the biggest mitzvah you can
said. "I began the process to see
do:'
if I matched with this potential
Emily's heart, lungs, liver,
recipient. I matched first and
pancreas and kidneys were given
second rounds, but was told Ross'
James B aker
to five patients. The Stillmans
sister came forward to donate. My
also knew that, given the chance,
role was fmished; I was happy that
they would want to meet the recipients.
he would get a kidney:'
Her kidney went to Randy Schumacher of
But Ross' sister could not be a donor,
Ubly (in Michigan's thumb) and her heart
and Baker learned he was a full match.
to Dr. Guy Mulligan of Cleveland. Since
Surgery took place Sept. 24 in New York
receiving the transplant, Mulligan has wel- City.
comed a third son. Emily's liver went to
"Now, here I am, the recipient of a gift
Angela Kiesgen of Brighton and her lung
in Emily's memory:' said Bear, who plans
to Joe Steponski of Grand Rapids.
to be at Shir Shalom Nov. 20 to meet the
"I don't think we could see at that time
Stillmans and to say Kaddish at Emily's
the impact that Emily would have on so
gravesite in thanks sparking Baker's action
many lives and, by extension, so many
that saved his life.
other lives and how much it helped us see
"If you've saved one life, ifs as if you've
a part of Emily:' Alicia said.
saved the world:' Rabbi Moskowitz said,
The weekend of Nov. 18 is National
adding that in the midst of catastrophic
Donor Sabbath. Michael and Alicia
loss and tragedy, organ donation can help
Stillman will speak about their experi-
someone else. Michigan currently has
ences at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, at Shir
3,413 people on the organ transplant wait-
Shalom.
ing list. Nationally, 21 people die each day
One other guest will join them at the
from the lack of available organs for trans-
bimah — James Baker of Bloomfield Hills, plant, according to Gift of Life. However,
who had worked for the Stillmans early
one donor can save up to eight lives and
in his law career. He remembered Emily
enhance the lives of up to 50 people. *
fondly as a little girl.
Join the Michigan Organ Donor Registry by visiting
In the fall of 2013, Baker saw a news
www.Michigan.gov/sos or any Secretary of State
story about Alicia and Michael Stillman
meeting the recipients of Emily's organs.
branch office.