A Jersey City woman recently ran a 5k race with her dad to celebrate 20 years since receiving a liver transplant that saved her life.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Jessica Chipkin-Klein was a college student in 2005 when she was diagnosed with Wilson’s disease, a rare genetic disorder that causes toxic copper buildup in the liver.
Her health declined rapidly, and she was placed on the transplant waiting list with acute liver failure. On June 24th, 2005, a matching liver became available just in time – a moment she says gave her a second chance at life.
“To cross the finish line of NJ Sharing Network’s 5K with my dad, 20 years after nearly losing my life, was overwhelming. He was with me every step of the way through my illness, and this was our way of celebrating how far we’ve come together,” Chipkin-Klein said in a statement.
“Father’s Day will always hold deeper meaning for us. I wouldn’t be here without my donor, but I also wouldn’t have made it through the hardest days without my dad’s love and strength.”
Her father, David Chipkin, said he still remembers the fear and helplessness of watching his daughter fight for her life and the incredible relief and gratitude that came following her liver transplant.
“There are no words for what it means to see your child sick and not know what will happen next. After her transplant, it felt like we could breathe again,” he recalled.
“Running the 5K with Jessica brought it all full circle. I’m so proud of the life she’s built with her husband Josh, and I’ll never stop being grateful to her organ donor and their family.”
Since her transplant, Chipkin-Klein has built a life filled with gratitude, purpose, and passion.
She earned a master’s degree in clinical social work, owned a successful business, and is now leading business operations at Kivu Bioscience, developing novel targeted oncology therapies, improving patient outcomes and quality of life.
Chipkin-Klein is now also a dedicated long-distance runner and avid adventurer.
She completed her 8th marathon as a guide for Achilles International in the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon, and she proudly time-qualified for the 2024 Boston Marathon and is currently training for her 9th marathon, which she will run in Chicago this October.
“Running continues to be a metaphor for life itself, and running NJ Sharing Network’s 5K was much more than a race against time – it was in gratitude of the time I have,” Chipkin-Klein added.
“It was a thank you to my donor, a celebration of life, and a tribute to my father. One person’s decision gave me 20 years… and counting.”
On Sunday, June 8th, thousands gathered in New Providence for NJ Sharing Network’s 5K Celebration of Life, presented by RWJBarnabas Health.
Now in its 15th year, the event brings together transplant recipients, donor families, living donors, and healthcare partners to celebrate the power of organ and tissue donation. F
unds raised support the Sharing Network Foundation, which helps advance clinical innovation, family support, and public education to increase the number of lives saved through donation and transplantation.
Currently, more than 100,000 people in the United States – including nearly 4,000 in New Jersey – are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. One organ donor can save eight lives and enhance the lives of over 75 others through tissue donation.
To learn more or register as an organ and tissue donor, click here.
