Lifesharing

04/28/2026

SOUTH BAY STRONG! Thank you to the board of the Sweetwater Union High School District for inviting Lifesharing to speak about organ donation during Donate Life Month. Lifesharing volunteer — and organ transplant recipient — Donna Saracho told the audience about her brush with death 15 years ago. Her family was literally planning her funeral when they got the call that a matching organ had been found for her — a gift from a generous stranger. Chula Vista High School senior Liriam Cano told the board that she was inspired to register as an organ and tissue donor after a Lifesharing representative spoke to her class freshman year. The presentation was so powerful, it also inspired Liriam to pursue a career in the medical field. For more information on Lifesharing’s school outreach programs: https://www.lifesharing.org/student-education/ (https://www.lifesharing.org/student-education/)
Pictured L-R: Lifesharing school outreach leader Christy Heymann, Lifesharing volunteer Donna Saracho and Chula Vista High School senior Liriam Cano

04/28/2026

LIFESHARING GETS A MENTION DURING MONDAY NIGHT’S PRE-GAME BROADCAST BEFORE vs. AT PETCO PARK ⚾️ Huge thank you to Deepa Kurup, the Senior Director of the Center for Transplantation at - she gave an interview on the field and talked about the importance of Donate Life Month in April. During the conversation, she mentioned the fact that Lifesharing helped transplant 512 vital organs last year. Of course, that milestone was made possible by the generous organ donors from the San Diego region — many of whom also donated tissue for transplantation. Thank you, Deepa, for recognizing our organization and our donors. Our transplant partners at UC San Diego Health are absolutely vital to our lifesaving mission 💙💚

04/24/2026

🎥 NEW VIDEO: A MIRACLE FOUR YEARS IN THE MAKING 💙💚 The video below shows the emotional moments that unfolded when the family of Jaime Gonzalez listened to his heartbeat, four years after his passing. Jaime, 59, became a Lifesharing organ donor in 2022 after suffering a fatal stroke. To the surprise of his family, Jaime had registered as an organ donor just two months prior to his death. His daughter Katie believes her dad wanted to pay the gift forward after receiving a liver transplant during his lifetime. At the end of his life, Lifesharing coordinated Jaime’s organ donation and identified Carol as a match for Jaime’s heart. The transplant saved Carol’s life, and both families began exchanging letters. In late 2025, the Gonzalez family met Carol at Santee Lakes. (Carol traveled all the way from Arizona to hug them!) The Gonzalez family brought a stethoscope so they could hear their dad’s heartbeat again. Lifesharing was honored to witness the moment and film the emotional meeting.
Speakers in order of appearance:
Katie Gonzalez, daughter of organ donor Jaime Gonzalez
Carol Destache, heart recipient
Video shot and edited by Lifesharing Public Relations Director Anne State
Video description:
Family of organ donor meets heart recipient, listens to their loved one’s heart with a stethoscope.
🎥:

EL CAJON FAMILY HEARS LATE FATHER'S HEARTBEAT THROUGH THE MIRACLE OF ORGAN DONATION

04/20/2026

IN THE SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE TODAY… This beautiful tribute to Lifesharing organ donor, Riley C***s…. Riley’s father is organizing a concert in his son’s memory 🦋

When Ron C***s’ son Riley tragically passed in 2024 he knew his memory was far from ending. Now, C***s and his family are gearing up for a celebration of Riley’s legacy at the Belly-Up Tavern in Solana Beach at 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 26 (d…

04/17/2026

MOVE OVER TRAVELING GNOME…. This old Lifesharing water bottle is going places! Big thank you to Tara for sharing this picture with us. Tara is a nurse at one of our hospital partners and she’s helped us save many lives over the years. We gave her this water bottle a long time ago and she has taken it to many far-away locations… including here in Kauai. We love seeing photos like this!

04/11/2026

STOP BY OUR BOOTH AND SAY HI 👋 Lifesharing is at the car show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds weekend☀️ (We’re set up near Bing Crosby Hall.) Got questions about organ and tissue donation? Let’s chat. Already a registered donor? Play our Plinko game and win a PRIZE 🏆 We’re here to educate the car lovers of San Diego so they can make an educated decision next time they’re asked to register as an organ and tissue donor at the DMV 🚗

04/09/2026

LOOK FOR LIFESHARING’S BOOTH AT THE GOODGUYS MEGUIAR’S DEL MAR NATIONALS this Friday - Sunday (April 10 - 12):   The car show is taking place at the Del Mar Fairgrounds!    Right now, there are more than 100K+ patients who need an organ transplant to get ‘back on the road’ to good health…. We’ll be sharing information, answering questions, and hopefully inspiring more people to register as organ and tissue donors.   Please stop by our booth and say ‘hi’!
In addition to our booth, Lifesharing Family Services Specialist Barbara Vaughan will be showcasing her ’72 Maverick in Building 1 of the Del Mar Fairgrounds — make sure to check out her car!  Barbara is a kidney transplant recipient who’s grateful to be “living the car life” and “logging more miles” thanks to a generous organ donor.
For more info on the car show:   https://good-guys.com/dmn-spectator
For more info on registering as an organ and tissue donor in California:  https://www.lifesharing.org/become-a-donor/ Note:  this decision is considered legally binding, but you can remove yourself from the registry at any time, if you change your mind.

04/09/2026

STANDING AT ATTENTION AS THE DONATE LIFE FLAG IS RAISED AT TRI-CITY MEDICAL CENTER: Thank you to our partners at Tri-City Medical Center for hosting this beautiful ceremony today honoring organ donor heroes in the North County. And many thanks to Lifesharing Hospital Services Manager Matt Kidder for organizing today’s event in collaboration with CEO Dr. Gene Ma, ICU Nurse Angie Perez and Lifesharing volunteer (and heart recipient) Joe Wong. Thank you all for lending your voices - and your heartfelt sentiments - to this amazing event.
Special thanks to the donor family members who attended today— we stand with you in honoring the profound gifts your loved ones have given.
Additional gratitude to the employees from Tri-City Medical Center and Lifesharing who took time out of their day to pay their respects to local organ and tissue donor heroes.
Last but certainly not least: Thank you to the security officers who did the honor of raising the Donate Life flag today. We know that many of you served proudly in the military and we thank you for your service past and present.

04/07/2026

🎥 NEW VIDEO: HER SON INSPIRES HER EVERY SINGLE DAY ~ Sharp HealthCare Transplant Coordinator and Lifesharing Advisory Board Member Natalie Gonzalez, BSN, RN, CCRN, CCTC, carries her son’s light forward through her lifesaving work in the field of transplantation.
Natalie suffered an unimaginable loss when her 10-year-old son, Hunter, passed away in 2013. A day on the lake had turned into tragedy and Hunter suffered fatal injuries in a boating accident. As a nurse, Natalie knew her son would never recover and she made the decision to donate his organs and tissues. Hunter's lifesaving donation -- kidneys, heart valves, corneas, and one of his lungs -- inspired his mother to become a transplant coordinator at the Sharp HealthCare Kidney Transplant Center.
In this role, Natalie manages patients on the transplant waiting list and assists in the process of identifying matching organs for them. In addition to her work at Sharp HealthCare, Natalie serves as a member of Lifesharing’s Advisory Board and volunteer team.
Video shot and edited by Lifesharing Public Relations Director Anne State
Additional footage provided via our Artlist.io subscription.
April is Donate Life Month


🎥: https://youtu.be/BsQH6Jd4MrA

Lifesharing Board Member Natalie Gonzalez suffered an unimaginable loss when her son, Hunter, passed away in 2013. A day on the lake had turned into traged...

04/06/2026

HONORING OUR ORGAN AND TISSUE DONORS DURING THE QING MING FESTIVAL (pronounced “Ching Ming”): Lifesharing’s Unity Committee set up a traditional altar where staff could light incense and pay their respects in the days leading up to April 5th, when the Qing Ming festival occurred. As our Unity Committee Chairwoman Gwennie Mai explained, this memorial is recognized on the 15th day after the spring equinox. In Chinese culture, it is tradition for families to clean the graves of their ancestors on Qing Ming and present offerings of flowers, food/fruits and drink.
The wooden tablet in the center of our altar is known as an ancestral tablet. Gwennie says the words inscribed on the tablet can be translated as, “To the noble spirits of those who came before.”

04/03/2026

WE LIT OUR BUILDING BLUE & GREEN FOR DONATE LIFE MONTH! Thank you to all our healthcare/professional partners and volunteers who came out for our first-ever “Building Illumination Ceremony” — it was an amazing start to Donate Life Month 💙💚
Many thanks to:

Lifesharing Director of Donor Development and Strategic Partnerships Samantha Blaz — the force behind this event, Sam led the organizational efforts from start to finish and served as one of the event emcees
Jeff Trageser, Lifesharing Executive Director — Event Emcee
Natalie Gonzalez, Keynote Speaker, Sharp HealthCare Transplant Coordinator and Donor Mom. Her story moved every single one of us.
Oscar Juarez and Bryant Jones — they did an amazing job installing the blue and green lights on our building. Wow!!
Oxean Eddie Rey — An amazing local artist who handcrafted the ceremonial light switch for this event. His creativity blew us away.
Huge thank you to the event organizers:
Samantha Blaz
Jean Moneda
Bryant Jones
Anne State

04/03/2026

🎥 NEW VIDEO: WE LIT OUR BUILDING BLUE & GREEN FOR DONATE LIFE MONTH 💙💚 Thank you to all our healthcare/professional partners and volunteers who came out for our first-ever “Building Illumination Ceremony” — it was an amazing start to Donate Life Month!
Many thanks to:

Lifesharing Director of Donor Development and Strategic Partnerships Samantha Blaz — the force behind this event, Sam led the organizational efforts from start to finish and served as one of the event emcees
Jeff Trageser, Lifesharing Executive Director — Event Emcee
Natalie Gonzalez, Keynote Speaker, Sharp HealthCare Transplant Coordinator and Donor Mom. Her story moved every single one of us.
Oscar Juarez and Bryant Jones — they did an amazing job installing the blue and green lights on our building. Wow!!
Oxean Eddie Rey — An amazing local artist who handcrafted the ceremonial light switch for this event. His creativity blew us away.
Huge thank you to the event organizers:
Samantha Blaz
Jean Moneda
Bryant Jones
Anne State

Thank you to all our healthcare/professional partners and volunteers who came out for our first-ever “Building Illumination Ceremony” — it was an amazing sta...