He raises $5K for Children's Hospital
Adam Snow of Butler Township has experienced a lot in the two years following a liver transplant that saved his life.
The 16-year-old, who has a strong love for hunting and fishing, has been able to enjoy the sports on trips across the continent.
Now the teen is working to make sure other patients have the same opportunity at life as he was given.
Adam raised more than $5,000 for the Children's Hospital of UPMC of Pittsburgh during a spaghetti dinner Saturday at Moose Lodge 64 on West Jefferson Street.
“No words can say how appreciative I am,” Adam told the crowd of supporters at the lodge. “Tonight is very important to me.”
The day marked the second fundraiser Adam held this year, following a first held in April.
“Just knowing the gift of life I've been given — I want to be able to give others the same chance to enjoy life,” he said.
The night was capped off with a speech by Ron Gooden, a former NFL player for the Miami Dolphins who underwent a heart transplant three years ago.
“We put together a program to give back to the Children's Hospital,” said Linda Snow, Adam's mother.
Adam handed the check to Dr. Rakesh Sindhi and Dr. George Mazeriek, two of the doctors who operated on him.
Linda Snow was very proud of her son for helping raise money for the hospital that saved his life.
“I think he is a very honorable kid,” she said. “He has a very mature attitude.”
In October 2012, Adam started feeling sick. He was admitted to the hospital when he became jaundiced, and doctors diagnosed him with liver failure. He slipped into a coma and was given hours to live on Nov. 9.
His family searched to find a liver donor via social and traditional media and a donor was found just in time. Adam was released from the hospital Nov. 20.
In December of that year, Adam was admitted to the hospital when a test found that he had elevated liver enzymes, a sign of a rejection. He went into surgery to correct the problem.
Linda Snow said Adam is monitored on a monthly basis at UPMC Children's Hospital and has blood drawn every month at Butler Memorial Hospital. He will take medication daily for the rest of his life.Gooden of Hampton Township, Allegheny County, understood Adam's journey and called his story an inspiration considering his young age.“I think he showed tremendous courage,” Gooden said. “Especially with the complications he had following his surgery.”Gooden often makes speeches on the importance of organ donations after receiving a heart transplant three years ago.“I hope to make sure people understand the importance of being an organ donor,” said Gooden, who was born with a hereditary condition that caused him to have an enlarged heart. “A single person can help up to eight people by being an organ donor.”Gooden said he was happy to see Adam taking the initiative to give back and to help others in need.“It was an honor to meet this young man,” he said. “He has so much to live for. I hope he continues to fish.”Mazeriek said he was happy to see Adam doing well after his surgeries.“I think it's one of the hardest things to go through when an active person like Adam has an illness happen almost overnight,” he said. “It takes a lot of character to get through it.”Mazeriek said Adam's donation was greatly appreciated by the hospital.“That's how we can make progress,” he said. “By having a community work together like this.”
