24 | JANUARY 25 • 2024 

that more heart transplants 
are in the Morganroth family’s 
future. Erik’s daughter, Emma, 
a University of Michigan grad-
uate like her dad, is currently 
applying to medical schools 
with an eye on becoming a 
cardiothoracic surgeon. It’s 
been her goal since experi-
encing her father’s second 
heart transplant ordeal. At just 
6 years old, she recalls pull-
ing her father’s surgeon, Dr. 
Pagani, aside and grilling him 
about her dad’s post-operative 
care.

“Instead of brushing me off, 
he took the time to answer 
every one of my questions, 
each of which probably added 
a good 10 minutes to his 
workday,
” she says. “It was 
then when I realized what it 
meant to be a doctor, beyond 
what I learned from my $14.99 
Fisher-Price medical kit. It 
was then when I knew exactly 
what I wanted to do; I wanted 
to be like him.
”
 

USING HIS EXPERIENCE
Considering his medical 
history, it’s no surprise that 
Morganroth has turned into a 
leading voice for organ dona-
tion.
He’s been involved with 
organizations like Gift of Life, 
served on the advisory board 
for University of Michigan’s 
Frankel Cardiovascular Center, 
spoken at events for the 
American Heart Association 
and more. He was recently 
honored at the Michigan Heart 
Ball for his activities pro-
moting organ donation. This 
year, he has been tapped to 
chair the AHA
’s annual Metro 
Detroit Heart Walk, sched-
uled for May 5 at Washtenaw 
Community College.
He urges people to regis-

ter as organ donors and let 
their loved ones know that in 
a worst-case scenario, their 
wish is to help others survive. 
He also encourages people 
to support Ann Arbor-based 
Gift of Life and the Frankel 
Cardiovascular Center at U-M.
Although organ donation 
registrations dipped during 
COVID as Secretary of State 
branches closed, positive 
transplant news is on the 
upswing. Legislation requiring 
education about organ dona-
tion for Michigan students was 
introduced in October, and in 
November, Michigan Gift of 
Life reported a record number 
of organ donors for 2023, with 
a month still to go.
The nonprofit organization 
said there were more than 500 
organ donations in the state 
last year, up from 463 in 2022 
and 429 in 2021.
“Michigan’s latest milestone 
is incredibly meaningful. I’m 
in awe of those 500 donors 
and their families who decid-
ed that helping others was 
important to them,
” said 
Dorrie Dils, president and 
CEO of Gift of Life. “They 
have given their recipients the 
best gift — new life.
”
For Morganroth, that means 
appreciating all the moments 
and milestones he’s seen. And 
all those yet to come.
Now, with his 54th birthday 
just passed Dec. 2, Morganroth 
embraces every turn of the 
calendar.
“I celebrate every year I’m 
on this Earth,
” he says. “I cel-
ebrate getting older because I 
have the ability to get older.
” 

For more information about Gift of 

Life Michigan, visit giftoflifemichigan.

org. For details about U-M’s Frankel 

Cardiovascular Center, visit umcvc.

org.

OUR COMMUNITY

continued from page 23

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www.hfldetroit.org • 248.723.8184

Hebrew Free Loan Detroit

6735 TELEGRAPH ROAD, SUITE 300 • BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MICHIGAN 48301

HebrewFreeLoanDetroit

Community donations help Hebrew Free Loan give 
interest-free loans to local Jews for a variety of personal, 
health, educational and small business needs.

STORY
My

STORY

My

Annie Jacobson attended college with the help of 
scholarships, grants, and Hebrew Free Loan’s William 
Davidson Jewish College Loan Program. During her freshman 
year, Annie’s father exhibited concerning symptoms, 
and during her sophomore year, he was diagnosed 
with an aggressive and life-limiting form of dementia. 
“Because I wasn’t so concerned with finances for 
school, I was able to focus on both finishing my degree, 
and on being a caregiver for my dad, to give him care 
with dignity,” Annie said. “So my twenties weren’t what 
I expected, but everything I did was possible because 
I wasn’t burdened by disruptive debt. In my spare time, 
I took on babysitting jobs to repay HFL.” 
Later, Annie went to New York hoping to act, but 
the pandemic hit and theaters shuttered. 
“I decided to get my Master’s degree in Child Life 
Studies, because I was home, work was closed, and 
schools were online,” Annie said. “HFL helped with that, 
too, and it was critical help, because the program’s 
internship was hundreds of hours, completely unpaid. 
No room for another job, so no income for fees and life. 
You can’t sit for the board exam without the internship, 
and you can’t practice without the board certification. 
“HFL made all the difference in my life, more than 
once,” Annie said. “The unexpected happened, there 
were needs, but I also had dreams, and HFL helped 
me make them possible. I’m where I want to be. So my 
advice is, don’t let money be the reason you don’t 
do things. Apply for a loan and take advantage of 
the funding the Jewish community offers, or donate 
and make a material difference in someone’s life.”

