Community Corner
Local Writer's Book Debuts at New City Library
New City author Shari Maurer signs copies of her new young adult novel "Change of Heart" at a book launch party at the New City Public Library on June 2, 2010.
A crowd of about 300 people filled the New City Library Wednesday evening to celebrate the launching of New City author Shari Maurer's new teen novel, A Change of Heart, and to support the growing need for organ donors in New York State.
Thoughout the night fans were in and out of the library's meeting room having books signed, registering as organ donors and enjoying delicious refreshments.
A Change of Heart is a story of a 16-year-old Emmi, who's life of soccer, friends and boys was flipped upside down when she was diagnosed with myocarditis, which destroyed her heart. During this scary time in her life, she relies on her inner strength to carry on.
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This is Maurer's second book on heart illnesses. In 2001, A Parent's Guide to Children's Congenital Heart Defects, which she co-wrote with Gerri Fried Kramer, was published. This non-fiction guide provides definitive answers from leading medical experts to parents' concerns about congenital heart defects.
Maurer holds the topic close to heart because her own daughter, Lissie, was born with a heart defect. She got the idea for writing A Change of Heart from an episode of Dr. Oz featuring her husband, Mat, a cardiologist, and a young girl in need of a heart transplant.
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Elaine R. Berg, CEO and president of the New York Organ Donor Network, spent the night educating and encouraging potention donors. There are currently 10,000 people in need of transplants in New York State alone, according to Berg.
Kelvin Smith, a patient of Dr. Maurer, received a heart transplant in April 2008 after three terrifying months waiting for a donor. Smith was suffering from restrictive cardiomyopathy when he woke up on the bathroom floor and called Dr. Maurer, who then met him at the emergency room.
"My purpose now is to crusade to raise awareness of organ donation," commented Smith, "so many people don't know what they can do by just signing up."
Anyone is a candidate to be an organ donor. The computerized system that matches donors and recipients is blind to everything but necessities like blood type, age, and weight. Everyone is encouraged to sign up as a donor, even if they don't think they are eligible because that will be determined by the organization.
