“The Valerie Fund makes me feel like my life is not just about my illness.”
Morgan Parker, 16 years old from Jersey City, NJ, has been battling Sickle Cell Disease most of her life, but it hasn’t deterred her from dreaming big. On Tuesday, June 30, one of her biggest dreams finally came true. The Honorable Carl L. Marshall invited her to shadow him and be “Judge for a Day” at the Roselle Municipal Court. Morgan received a tour of the courthouse, met the municipal court staff, participated in a mock swearing-in ceremony, presided over a mock trial, and observed a live court session alongside Judge Marshall.
It was a wish come true for Morgan, who has been receiving care since the age of 10 at The Valerie Fund at RWJBarnabas Health’s Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey, a center dedicated to providing comprehensive care and psychosocial support to children with cancer and blood disorders.
“The Valerie Fund makes me feel like my life is not just about my illness,” said Morgan.
Morgan has participated in The Valerie Fund Double H Ranch summer camp experience and has served as a sickle cell ambassador for The Valerie Fund, helping raise awareness about the disease. However, living with sickle cell disease has not been without its challenges.
Due to recurring hospitalizations, Morgan has missed significant time at school; she recalls at least 50 hospitalizations to date.
“Sickle Cell disease is an inherited condition that affects my red blood cells and causes tons of symptoms and side effects that impact my daily life, but my doctors and the team at Newark Beth Israel are always pushing me to thrive and not just exist – they’ve always gone above and beyond to make sure that I get to smile each and every day that I’m sick,” said Morgan.
“We encourage all our patients to live life to its fullest. Morgan is a great example of a patient who follows her care plan and is excelling while battling sickle cell disease. She is a smart, hardworking young woman, and we are all very proud of her,” said Surabhi Batra, MD, pediatric hematology and oncology physician at Children’s Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, who leads Morgan’s care team.
Morgan maintains an “A” average; she is a member of the debate club, the art club, and the student emotional learning committee, as well as a sorority youth group.
She will be entering her senior year at University Academy Charter High School in Jersey City, NJ, this fall, and says she plans to major in criminal justice in college and one day become a US District Court Judge.
She says, “Being a judge is not just about hitting a gavel and making decisions. For me, it’s about changing the world.”
Learn more about Pediatric Cancer Services at The Valerie Fund Children’s Center at The Children’s Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, is a 665-bed regional care teaching hospital that provides comprehensive health care. Newark Beth Israel is a Top Teaching Hospital and home to one of the nation’s top 15 heart transplant centers, which has performed more than 1,200 heart transplants; RWJBarnabas Health’s Heart Failure Treatment and Transplant Program; New Jersey’s only Advanced Lung Disease and Transplant Program and a Valve Center that performs complex cardiac valve procedures, including minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVRs). Newark Beth Israel Medical Center is also home to Children’s Hospital of New Jersey (CHoNJ), caring for children from birth through adolescence, with more than 30 specialized pediatric services including New Jersey’s largest Valerie Fund Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders; and the Children’s Heart Center that offers a complete range of medical and surgical treatments for the most complex cardiac abnormalities. Children’s Hospital of New Jersey also includes a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and a Level IV Regional Perinatal Center that offers Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) therapy; and the highest level of intensive care for both mothers and newborns. The Newark Beth Israel robotic surgery program is the most experienced in northern New Jersey. RWJBarnabas Health and The Frederick B. Cohen, MD, Comprehensive Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey Breast Health Center, in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute – the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center – brings a world class team of researchers and specialists to fight alongside you, providing close-to-home access to the latest treatment and clinical trials. Newark Beth Israel also offers many preventive health programs that promote wellness in the community, including The Beth Greenhouse, which provides access to fresh produce and health and wellness education to residents.
To learn more visit rwjbh.org/NewarkBeth