2022 Bounce Back Winner - Jen Lentini
Hicksville, NY, local Jen Lentini is one of CKF’s 2022 Bounce Back Give Back Award Winner! At age 13, Jen collapsed at a lacrosse game; combined with her complaints about abdominal pain, she was taken to the hospital and underwent exploratory surgery. During this surgery, Jen went into cardiac arrest leading to her Cardiomyopathy diagnosis. She remained in the hospital from April to July, awaiting her lifesaving transplant; Matthew would become Jen’s angel donor after making the selfless decision to become an organ donor. Jen is 26 years post transplant and carries Matthew’s picture daily!
Activity is not the only place Jen has continued to excel, obtaining her BSW in social work and advocating for transplant recipients and organ, eye, and tissue donation. It is hard to count how many lives Jen has touched working with numerous organizations across the country to combat the need for organ donors. Jen has volunteered with American Heart Association, Hearts for Russ, LiveOnNY, Long Island TRIO, New York Blood Center, and many more! Jen regularly speaks in schools, churches, and hospitals to help spread the message of organ donation. Jen spoke on numerous occasions with professional baseball star and transplant recipient Joe Torre. She says her biggest honor was speaking at a school, and a girl came up to her and said she had seen Jen celebrating her 10th transplant anniversary, which inspired her to become an organ donor. CEO of Hearts for Russ Doug Housman states, “Jen has helped sign up hundreds of organ donors.”
Jen has continued to live a healthy and active lifestyle post transplant gaining her yoga certificate and winning awards for baton twirling. She has developed a love for the wild side, including cage diving with sharks, flying in hot air balloons, piloting a small plane, bungee jumping, kayaking, and skydiving. Jen has competed and medalled at the U.S. Transplant Games, an Olympics-style event for individuals waiting for or undergoing life-saving transplant surgeries. Jen epitomizes living life to the fullest no matter the obstacles you may face.
