High School Student from Edison Granted Scholarship for Organ Donation Advocacy

EDISON, NJ - A high school student from Edison Township is one of seven in the state to receive a scholarship for Advocacy and Support of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation from the NJ Sharing Network. Anika Bhatnagar is a 2024 Middlesex Academy for Allied Health and Biomedical Sciences graduate and the recipient of a scholarship from Missy’s Miracle Scholarship Fund.

According to a press release, Anika began volunteering with the NJ Sharing Network in 2021 and was inspired by her father’s battle with IgA nephropathy and a lifesaving kidney transplant in 2019. She organized educational booths, led fundraisers, and hosted live streams to share stories of donors and recipients, including her parents' experience.

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Anika also established a Donate Life club at her high school to educate her peers about organ donation. Her initiatives have earned her several awards, including the Student of the Year award from the Edison Chamber of Commerce and the Youth Volunteer award from NJ Sharing Network, according to a press release.

“We are grateful for the generous support of our partner funds and their ongoing commitment to rewarding students who share a commitment to our lifesaving mission,” said Amanda Tibok, Executive Director, Sharing Network Foundation . “We know that all of our scholarship awardees will continue as strong leaders educating others about donation and transplantation throughout their college years and beyond.”

NJ Sharing Network is a federally designated non-profit organ focused on saving lives through the recovery of donated organs and tissue in the state. They are partners with 54 local hospitals to provide organs for the nearly 4,000 New Jersey residents currently waiting for a lifesaving transplant, according to the press release.

Missy’s Miracle Scholarship Fund was created in celebration of Missy Rodriguez’s life-saving liver transplant. She became a college counselor using scholarships for high school students.

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