(BLOOMFIELD, NJ) – Twenty-five years after helping evacuate people from Manhattan following the September 11 terrorist attacks, Bloomfield resident Tony Moyet is reflecting on his journey from a ferry captain responding to one of the nation’s darkest days to a transplant recipient who was given a second chance at life. Today, he shares his story as an advocate for NJ Sharing Network to honor his donor and raise awareness about the lifesaving power of organ and tissue donation and transplantation.
On September 11, 2001, Moyet was a captain with NY Waterway and was working aboard a ferry transporting commuters between Hoboken and the World Financial Center when the World Trade Center was attacked. After seeing the devastation, he called for boats to assist with the evacuation. Moyet and his fellow ferry captains helped transport people away from lower Manhattan, and he continued working until 3 a.m. the following morning.
Moyet returned to the Ground Zero area in the days and months that followed, spending another year and a half transporting federal agents, police officers, firefighters and other workers, as well as equipment and supplies, to the recovery effort.
“I don’t consider myself a hero,” said Moyet. “I just consider myself a person who happened to be in this bad situation, trying to do the best that he can to help others.”
Nearly two decades later, Moyet found himself facing a life-threatening health crisis. In January 2018, he sought medical attention for a persistent cough and difficulty breathing and was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). His condition rapidly progressed to end-stage COPD and emphysema, and his doctors attributed his severe lung disease to his exposure to the contaminated air at Ground Zero. At one point, Moyet required oxygen around the clock and was told he had only months to live.
Moyet’s best hope was a double lung transplant. He was placed on the transplant waiting list on July 2, 2021. The very next day, a donor was identified whose lungs matched his size and blood type. On July 4, 2021, Moyet received his lifesaving double lung transplant and returned home just 18 days later.
Today, Moyet is enjoying the gift of renewed health and the opportunity to spend more time with his family and friends. He is deeply grateful for the donor whose gift made his transplant possible and is committed to honoring that gift by sharing his story through NJ Sharing Network.
“I don’t need oxygen, and my lungs are working great,” said Moyet. “I am truly humbled and forever grateful to the organ donor hero who gave me my new lungs.”
Moyet has participated in NJ Sharing Network’s annual 5K Celebration of Life, joining transplant recipients, donor families, living donors, volunteers and supporters to honor the gift of life. Through his involvement with NJ Sharing Network, he continues to help raise awareness about the thousands of people whose lives could be changed through organ and tissue donation.
As the 25th anniversary of 9/11 is commemorated, Moyet’s story offers a powerful reminder of the lasting impact of those who answer the call to help others – and of the extraordinary gift of organ and tissue donation that allows people like him to continue their journey.
According to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), more than 100,000 Americans — including more than 3,000 New Jerseyans — are currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. One organ donor can save up to eight lives, while one tissue donor can enhance the lives of more than 75 people. To learn more or to register as an organ and tissue donor, visit NJ Sharing Network’s website at www.NJSharingNetwork.org.
PHOTO 1: Bloomfield resident and double lung transplant recipient Tony Moyet participates in NJ Sharing Network’s annual 5K Celebration of Life and is focused on sharing his inspiring transplant story to help spread awareness about the power of organ and tissue donation and transplantation. (Photo Credit: Courtesy of NJ Sharing Network)
PHOTO 2: Bloomfield resident and double lung transplant recipient Tony Moyet (right) enjoys a precious moment with his stepson, E.J. Hendrickson; daughter, Sophia Moyet; wife, Arlene Rosado; and mother-in-law, Juana Rosado. (Photo Credit: Courtesy of NJ Sharing Network)