Turia Pitt, an Australian elite athlete severely burned in a freak firestorm in the Australian outback recently visited the U.S. to thank her American tissue donors.
EDISON -- The tissue that ultimately saved her life had been held up while going through customs at an Australian airport.
It was against the law to bring in tissue donations from another country. But out of time and desperation, physicians contacted customs officials and demanded the tissue from 16 U.S. residents be let through. Otherwise, they said 24-year-old Turia Pitt would be dead by the afternoon.
In 2011, Pitt, an elite athlete, had been burned over 65 percent of her body after she and another runner were trapped in a firestorm in the Australian outback during a 100-kilometer ultra-marathon.
"It was terrifying," Pitt said. "You never believe that could happen to you."
After artificial skin grafts had failed, Australian doctors reached out to Edison-based MTF (Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation), the nation's leading tissue bank, which was able to facilitate the tissue from the U.S. donors.
"That skin ultimately saved my life," she told NJ Advance Media in a phone interview. "My liver was failing, my kidneys were failing, and they wouldn't let it through customs.
"And as soon as they got the skin, I changed dramatically," said Pitt, now 29.
Pitt, of Ulladulla, Australia, recently visited MTF in Edison to say thank you to the staff members whose work saved her life.
MTF Donor Services Senior Vice President George Herrera said in a statement that Pitt's visit was inspiring.
"We know the work we do every day at MTF saves and heals people's live," he said. "Still, to have someone like Turia come here and share the story not only of her survival and recovery but of all the amazing things she has done since is a true inspiration for all of us."
Pitt wants to raise awareness about the importance of tissue donation. Before her encounter with the firestorm, she had no idea how vital it could be in saving someone's life.
Tissue donations can be used for a variety of treatments, including skin grafts, heart valves, spinal grafts and bone to prevent amputations, according to www.donatelife.net.
A single tissue donor, according to the website, can restore the health of more than 75 people.
Her donors came from Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Washington.
Pitt said that her mental strength was also critical in her arduous recovery process.
"It's all about our mindset," she said. "It came down to mental fortitude."
She later added, "I was trapped by the fire, and when I woke up in the hospital, I wanted to live."
She was on her way to New York City where she would get to meet other tissue donors while spreading awareness about the importance of tissue donation.
She said she was also going to be traveling to Pasadena, California, to ride on the Donate Life Rose Parade Float on Jan. 2.
Each year, MTF sponsors a participant in the Donate Life Rose Parade Float. Pitt is MTF's 2017 honoree.
"I am really happy to be here," she said. "I am saying thank you to the American people."
For more information on how to become a tissue donor, visit www.donatelife.net.
Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.