I will be running my first NYC Marathon on Sunday, November 2. While it will be an accomplishment for me personally, I will also be running with another purpose.

I met Shari Schnall, my colleague at Ogilvy Public Relations, in 2001. Right away, I knew liked her, given we shared a certain sense of sarcasm. Basically, we fed off one another. She was fun and easy to talk to.

In the summer of 2005, Shari got sick. Within days of her first symptoms, Shari collapsed and her family was told she needed a full liver transplant or else she would die within a few days. She was immediately placed on the list for organ transplant (on the United Network for Organ Sharing). Of course, the news devastated her family, friends and colleagues. Being that we work in the communications industry, we immediately went to work to spread the word about her condition.

Through medical advances, her surgeons kept her alive with dialysis and plasmaphoresis while they waited for a donor organ. Six weeks after first being admitted to the hospital, Shari was discharged with a new liver and a new lease on life. Months later, she was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder, Wilson's Disease, a condition where the body can't process copper. The copper build up affects the brain or in Shari's case, the liver. Gone undiagnosed, as in Shari's situation, Wilson's Disease can kill you.

While still in the hospital, she started a foundation (the Shari Kurzrok Second Chance for Life Foundation) dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of organ donation. There are so many myths and misconceptions that she hopes to clarify (for example, religion is not a barrier to donation nor will doctors expedite your death if they know you are an organ donor).

In addition to running the marathon, I am also helping to raise money for Shari's foundation and the 98,000 others who are currently waiting for a life-saving transplant. Every day, 18 people take their last breath because an organ isn't available for them. In the case of transplantation, the medicine and science is there, we just need more people to become educated about the matter. Please support this important cause. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me at mdn3434@netscape.net or Shari at sharik429@yahoo.com. You can read more about Shari's story at www.liverforalife.com.

You can make checks payable to (tax deductible):

Shari Kurzrok Second Chance for Life Foundation

Mail checks to:
Michael Nolan
400 West 43rd Street, 33R
New York, NY 10036

Please include a return address and an e-mail address - this is so we can send a recognition letter for tax deduction purposes.

Here's why I am glad Shari had her own second chance for life...

I agree it's cliché to describe an individual as well-rounded. It sounds like a safe and dry way to portray someone's character. However, that, along with numerous other sentiments, can be used to describe Shari.

Professionally, she is as talented as they come in our field. She spearheaded one of the most successful blood drives to date for the American Red Cross, an irony in itself, as she became one of the statistics she pitched to the media. In addition to a liver transplant, she also needed blood transfusions to save her life.

As a person, she is fun with a quick wit. She is genuine. She will tell you something you may not want to hear, but delivered in a caring tone. She makes one feel important.

To describe what she means to me I will use the day I received her wedding invitation. The honor would have been just as great if I had received it if her health had not been compromised a few months earlier. I was honored to be invited. It meant I was somewhat important to a person such as Shari.

I hope you'll help me give others a second chance...