WARETOWN, NJ — April is National Donate Life Month, and a non-profit is honoring a local toddler who helped save lives after a tragic car accident took her own.
On July 14, 2022, Waretown resident Denise James and her 3-year-old daughter, Lilyanne (Lily) were killed in a Freehold crash. Read more: Driver Was High In Crash That Killed Waretown Mom, Child: Prosecutor
NJ Sharing Network, the federally designated non-profit organization responsible for the recovery and placement of donated organs and tissue in the Garden State, is sharing how Lily became an organ donor hero, helping others though she is gone.
Craig James, a Correctional Police Lieutenant at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Avenel, is doing his best to stay strong for his two sons, Nicholas and Robert, who survived the July accident. And the overwhelming love and support he’s had from those all over the state has been a blessing to him.
“My world and my dreams were torn apart,” said Craig. “But the outpouring of support from everyone has been amazing—it is very touching. I cried with this incredible feeling when I think about how we are loved by so many people. We are eternally grateful. I know Denise and Lily are thanking everyone for looking out for us.”
He also found comfort in knowing that Lily helped save people. Her donated heart and liver saved the lives of two 2-year-old boys.
“I want everyone to know that Lily is a hero,” Craig said. “She was my baby girl. I loved her more than anything, and we were so close. But it is comforting to know that she has helped others continue to live and enjoy life to its fullest.”
He also wants to raise awareness of NJ Sharing Network’s life-saving mission to encourage others become organ donors.
“I put myself in the shoes of a parent of a young child that is in need of a life-saving transplant. If I were them, I would want to do anything in my power to get my child an organ to save their life,” Craig said. “I knew that donation was the right thing to do, and I know it is something that my wife would have wanted for Lily too. Lily’s legacy now lives on through others.”
And Lily’s story has inspired others to become organ donors too.
“I am amazed that nearly everyone that I speak with says that they have now checked the box to register as donors. It is truly a silver lining that so many lives can be saved and enhanced in the future thanks to Lily,” Craig said.
Currently, there are over 100,000 Americans – nearly 4,000 of whom live in New Jersey – waiting for a life-saving transplant, according to United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). Each year, NJ Sharing Network reports more and more organ donors.
“Thanks to the generosity of New Jersey organ donors and their families, we are saving more lives than ever before – ensuring others now have more time to share special moments with their loved ones,” said NJ Sharing Network Vice President of Hospital and Community Services Alyssa D’Addio.