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She and her husband, Rabbi Joshua Hess, have encouraged their children -- Daniel, Akiva, Esti and Dalia -- to always look for opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others.
That opportunity for Naava would ultimately come through living organ donation.
“I have a few friends and acquaintances that have been living donors, and it was always something that intrigued me,” said Hess said.
“When there was a member of our synagogue who was in need of a kidney, I signed up for a drive to test to see if I was a potential match, along with my parents.
"At the same time, my twin sister, living in Israel, signed up to be a kidney donor there. One by one, we have been chosen - first my sister, then my mother, then it was my turn, when I donated my kidney in March. Now, my father is undergoing the preliminary testing to see if he will qualify to proceed."
For Hess and her family, living donation was an easy choice to make. They never felt any fear about the surgery or experiencing any short- or long-term health concerns.
“After educating myself more and more, I understand well that a second kidney is really an organ that, for most people, is a bonus,” she said.
“It’s as if God builds your body with an extra, and why keep it around? In our family, we call it #shareyourspare. I really just felt a tremendous sense of peace and calm, knowing that I was doing the right thing and that all would be well.”
Hess' "spare" saved the life of a 37-year-old man who had been waiting for a transplant for several years. Hess has been told her recipient in doing well both physically and emotionally since his transplant.
“I am euphoric," she said.
"There is no other word to describe the feeling of knowing that you have done such a wonderful thing, making such a huge difference,” said Naava. “I may never meet this man, but for someone I have changed his world, and that of his family.
"It lifted my spirit like nothing I have ever accomplished.”
Hess emphasized the fact that there is little to no risk to the donor and that the recuperation time is short.
There are nearly 4,000 New Jersey residents currently waiting for a life-saving transplant, and one person in New Jersey dies every three days waiting for a transplant, according to the NJ Sharing Network.
Just one organ and tissue donor can save eight lives and enhance the lives of over 75 people.
“We all have opportunities in this world to make a difference. The chance to give a family the ability to be together, to heal one person, one family, when so many are in need,” said Hess.
“I would do it again - a million times over if I could. Since I can’t, I will pray that I can enlighten even one more person to save a life, and if they pay that forward and keep the chain going, I will be happy.”
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