NJ Cops March2018 | Page 51

2018 NJSPBA Mini-Convention A lifesaving legacy When Cynthia Kudron lost her son to a drug overdose, she and her family didn’t know how they would move forward. Christian was only 25 when his drug use caught up to him on Aug. 17, 2017. As para- medics worked to stabilize Christian in his bedroom, where he was found uncon- scious, Cynthia was somehow reminded of the day her son turned 19. He was getting a new driver’s license and checked the box that made him an organ donor. “They revived his heart,” explained Kud- ron, an administrator at the State PBA of- fice in Woodbridge, during her emotional speech at the Mini Convention. “I told (the first responders) that he was an organ do- nor when he was taken to the critical care unit in Rahway.” For five days, Cynthia watched her com- passionate, giving son on life support and thought about the things she might never see him do, like move in with his longtime girlfriend, get married, have kids and grow old. When Christian was officially called on Aug. 22, that fear became a reality. But Christian still had an opportunity to make his mark on the world with the donation of his organs. “His last gift to the world was granted through the NJ Sharing Network,” Cynthia stated. Overstruck with heartache and grief, Cynthia has found comfort in knowing that Christian was able to give the gift of life through the nonprofit organization that pairs lifesaving organ and tissue dona- tions with the thousands of people waiting for transplants. His gifts spread across the country: His heart went to a man in New Jersey, his cornea to a woman in Ohio, and a kidney to a recipient in California. “If not for the Sharing Network, I would have had a much harder time getting through his loss,” Cynthia stressed as part of a presentation to educate members about the organization. Besides giving Christian a way to live on through the gift of organ donations, the NJ Sharing Network creates a support system for donor families. NJ Sharing Network Foundation Programs Coordinator Janet Brown spoke passionately about the bonds the Sharing Network creates with families like Cynthia’s to carry on the legacy of the donors. “My favorite part of the job is getting to meet families who give the gift of life,” Brown confirmed. “We are a second fam- ily, and we honor the loved one’s legacies forever.” Brown urged PBA members to spread the word of the NJ Sharing Network. She Cynthia Kudron, an administrator for the NJ State PBA, tells how she learned of the impact of organ and tissue donors through the loss of her son. recognized that the waiting list for lifesav- ing transplants continues to grow, but with more public education, the 4,000 people waiting in New Jersey alone can be helped and even saved. “You are all heroes in your own right,” Brown told the crowd. “We need your help to spread the word of how important this is. You’re the leaders of your communities.” Registering to be an organ donor is as easy as going to the online national reg- istry, which can be found through the NJ Sharing Network website (https://www. njsharingnetwork.org/). d Look out for ‘Below 100’ “Does your agency have a problem?” R. Scot Haug, a retired chief from Idaho, stressed that members can’t afford not to know the answer to the question. During his presentation at the Mini Convention, Haug explained that many agencies don’t know if they have a problem until it’s too late. He shared that the number of Line- of-Duty Deaths each year averages around 160 – many of which are preventable. “I don’t want you to go to a funeral of a friend and know you could have done something to prevent it,” he urged. Haug presented the Below 100 program, a program with the mission is to reduce the number of Line-of-Duty Deaths each year to fewer than 100. To do this, Haug and hundreds of other Below 100 representa- tives travel to different law enforcement agencies to bring attention to the causes of accidents that can be prevented. “We can change the culture and start holding ourselves accountable,” Haug stressed. He explained the five objectives for of- ficers and agencies to start holding them- selves more accountable: • Wear your seat belt. • Wear your vest. • Watch your speed. • WIN: What’s Important Now? • Remember: Complacency kills Wearing seat belts and bulletproof vests and watching the speed limit may seem like standard safety precautions, but as Haug’s presentation displayed pictures of patrol cars wrapped around telephone poles and video footage of cops playing late-night speeding games that end up deadly, it be- came apparent that officers can never be too cautious. Haug also noted that the average age of preventable Line-of-Duty Deaths is be- tween 42 and 45 years old to emphasize the Below 100 motto that “complacency kills.” And he reminded that the more success- ful years an officer has on the job, the less aware he or she may become of the basic safety mechanisms that save lives. Every time Haug presents to a group of Retired Chief R. Scot Haug presented the Below 100 program to help agencies prevent acci- dents that lead to Line-of-Duty Deaths. law enforcement, he thinks about the bus- loads of survivors who travel to the Candle- light Vigil in Washington, D.C., during Na- tional Police Week to honor lost loved ones. The Below 100 Program wants to work with law enforcement agencies across the coun- try so that officers take responsibility for their safety and their lives and fewer bus- es will be needed to bring survivors to the Candlelight Vigil. d www.njcopsmagazine.com ■ MARCH 2018 51