Lifesharing

ORGAN DONORS ARE THE REAL SUPERHEROES 💙💚 Thousands of visitors are streaming into San Diego for Comic-Con International — and many of them will be dressed as superheroes. We thought it was appropriate to pay tribute to Lifesharing’s own heroes…. like Robby Barksdale, Jr., reimagined here in a blue and green superhero suit, inspired by the Donate Life logo. (We created the suit using the AI generative tool in Photoshop. We showed the design to Robby’s parents before posting, to make sure they were OK with our creativity — they are 😊.) Robby was both a hero in life and in death. He served in the US Navy as a Damage Controlman assigned to USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) in San Diego. Robby was brilliant and charismatic — he had a bright smile and a crazy sense of humor. He lived life to the fullest and would always say, “YOLO”: You only live once. Most of all, he was a giving soul who wanted to help everyone. Tragically, Robby suffered a fatal brain injury in 2018 as the result of a motorcycle accident. He became a Lifesharing organ donor and saved five lives when our organ team found matching recipients for his heart, kidneys, lungs, liver and pancreas. In 2022, we honored Robby’s memory in the Rose Parade — his floral portrait was featured on the Donate Life Rose Parade Float: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgwIrxbjsHk
Organ and tissue donors are heroes.

SIX YEARS AGO THIS WEEK, this tiny Lifesharing hero changed many lives 💗 Baby Ava gave an extraordinary gift: one of her heart valves was donated to another baby, saving him from certain death. Ava’s final heroic act also spared the little boy’s parents the excruciating heartbreak of losing a child. In her short life, Baby Ava impacted so many people — she is missed every single day. Below is the letter that Ava’s mother wrote to her on her birthday in 2020. We are re-sharing these words in recognition of the little girl who gave so much to others as a Lifesharing tissue donor:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR TINY HERO IN HEAVEN ❤
Dear Ava,

Two years ago today, you came into this world at 12:21 am. Born 7.03 lbs. and 19 inches long, you were the smallest baby of three. You were my beautiful baby girl. For a week, you touched so many with your presence. You were laid to rest on July 4, 2018, but you continue to touch many lives in incredible ways….

You were born with a heart full of love. When you got your angel wings, one of your heart valves was given to an 8-month old boy, in order to save his life. With your selfless and amazing gift, you became one of Lifesharing’s many tissue donor heroes. You will always be my hero, too.

We love and miss you every single day. Happy Birthday, Ava.

Love,

Mom
Ava’s mother, Lucia Briones, made the brave decision to donate her daughter’s tissues. She encourages others to donate life. If you have a California driver license, you can register as an organ and tissue donor on our website: www.Lifesharing.org
📸: Photo by Danielle Griggs, volunteer photographer with the group ‘Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep’.
For more information on Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep: https://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org
Lifesharing is the federally-designated organization that coordinates organ and tissue donation in San Diego and Imperial counties. We are humbled to work with families such as Ava’s.

LIFESHARING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JEFF TRAGESER SELECTED FOR NATIONAL ROLE! Jeff Trageser, MSN, CPTC, is adding a new title to his name: President-Elect of the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO).
Trageser will lead strategic planning efforts for AOPO, the organization representing most of the nation’s organ procurement organizations (OPOs). OPOs (pronounced “O-P-O’s”, like an acronym) play a key role in the U.S. transplantation system. They help recover vital organs from deceased organ donors and match those organs with patients on the transplant waiting list.
Trageser will advocate for patients on a national level and focus on helping AOPO achieve its goal of 50,000 annual transplants by the year 2026.
“OPOs are a critical lifeline for people in need of a transplant,” said Trageser. “I’m honored to accept this leadership role in AOPO as we embrace new technologies and utilize advanced organ recovery methods in our quest to save even more lives.”
Last year, the nation’s OPOs helped transplant more than 43,000 vital organs such as hearts, lungs, livers and kidneys. Organ donors from Lifesharing alone saved 497 lives in 2023 — a regional record.
Trageser, a registered nurse since 1998, brings decades of clinical experience to this new national position. Under his leadership, Lifesharing has seen rapid growth in the number of organ donors and organs transplanted. Lifesharing is the organ procurement organization (OPO) serving San Diego and Imperial counties in Southern California.
Trageser will serve as president-elect of AOPO for one year, before assuming the role of president in 2025. He will continue to lead Lifesharing as executive director, a position he has held since 2022.

CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH… a day that symbolizes resilience, hope and empowerment. Juneteenth marks a pivotal moment in American history that took place on June 19, 1865. On that day, Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas and announced that enslaved people in the state were free by decree. (This was two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.) The National Museum of African American History & Culture says, “Juneteenth marks our country’s second Independence Day. Although it has long been celebrated in the African American community, this monumental event remains largely unknown to most Americans. The historical legacy of Juneteenth shows the value of never giving up hope in uncertain times.”

🎥 “THE WORLD’S BIGGEST SUPERHERO” ~ Gavin Raceles, 7, told his parents he wanted to be “the world’s biggest superhero” when he grew up. Tragically, his life was cut short just a few weeks after saying those words. But Gavin still fulfilled his promise of becoming a superhero: he saved three lives as an organ donor. Lifesharing was humbled to coordinate his donation — our medical team found matching recipients for his heart, kidneys and liver.
This film was recently nominated for a regional Emmy award in the “Video Essayist” category — the award winners will be announced this weekend. Thank you, NATAS Pacific Southwest for recognizing Gavin’s heroic story 🙏
We send our deepest love and gratitude to Gavin’s parents Tawni and Chris Raceles for lending their voices to this short film… Their love for Gavin comes through in every word.
🎥: Film produced, shot and edited by Lifesharing Public Relations Director Anne State.
Lifesharing is the organ procurement organization (OPO) serving San Diego and Imperial counties in Southern California. We coordinate organ and tissue donation at the end of life.

"THE WORLD'S BIGGEST SUPERHERO" -- Gavin Raceles Saved 3 Lives as a Lifesharing Organ Donor Lifesharing is proud to announce Gavin Raceles as its Organ Donor Honoree for the 2024 Rose Parade. We will recognize Gavin with a floral portrait on the O...

HAPPY PRIDE! 🏳️‍🌈

THANK YOU, SAN DIEGO: 65 LIVES SAVED IN THE MONTH OF MAY 💙💚 Today, members of our organ team paused to reflect on an amazing milestone: Lifesharing saved 65 lives last month through organ donation and transplantation. This is close to a regional record and it wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of our organ donors and their families. Thanks to them — and the hard work of our team and hospital partners — 65 people now have new lives. Many of these patients spent YEARS on the waiting list. But now their new hearts are beating… new lungs are breathing…. new kidneys and livers are functioning beautifully. (No more dialysis for the kidney recipients, no more yellow/jaundiced skin for the liver patients.)
This is all because 18 organ donors checked the box at the DMV or their families made the decision to donate their organs. Thank you, San Diego 🙏
We are humbled to serve this community as the region’s organ procurement organization (OPO).

MORE THAN 1500 LIVES SAVED…. THANKS TO THE HELP OF THIS GUY! Today we bid a fond farewell to Lifesharing Lead Surgical Services Coordinator Jeff Troyano. Jeff has been with Lifesharing for 9 years, but recently got accepted into a prestigious physician assistant education program where he will begin a new chapter in his medical career…. Today was his last day at Lifesharing. As a surgical coordinator, Jeff and his colleagues play a key role in the organ donation process. Once organs have been recovered from a hero donor, Lifesharing’s surgical coordinators make sure those organs stay healthy and safe on the journey to the recipient. (They use specialized containers for transportation that are designed to withstand great impact.) In short, our surgical coordinators help guard the gift of life: in 2023, they helped us transplant a record 497 organs.
Lifesharing Surgical Services Supervisor Billy Snyder did a quick check of our digital records… he estimates that Jeff Troyano has helped save well over 1500 lives in his time here at Lifesharing. Amazing.
BEST OF LUCK, JEFF - WE’LL MISS YOU!

🎥 NEW VIDEO: LIFESHARING RECOGNIZED FOR HOSPITAL OUTREACH EFFORTS IN SAN DIEGO! Lifesharing's Hospital Services team recently took home a statue at the Finest Awards for an event last November called “Lifesharing University”. (This video showcases some of the highlights from this amazing effort.) On Nov. 8, 2023, our team hosted an immersive one-day conference to educate our hospital partners about organ and tissue donation -- hundreds of local nurses and healthcare professional attended. The conference was spearheaded by Lifesharing Director of Donor Development and Strategic Partnerships Samantha Blaz, Lead Hospital Services Manager Patrick Balakian, Hospital Analyst Jean Moneda and the rest of our Hospital Services team. The event featured dynamic presentations from Lifesharing experts and emotional stories from Lifesharing volunteers. Thank you to all who attended and many thanks to the Lifesharing staff members who helped out that day. CONGRATS to Lifesharing Hospital Services on this well-deserved honor!
The Finest Awards are sponsored by the Health Care Communicators of Southern California. The awards ceremony was held May 17, 2024, in San Juan Capistrano. Our Hospital Services team won the Bronze award in the Public Relations/Community Relations category.
Note: “Lifesharing University” was the nickname of the conference. Attendees earned continuing education units, not degrees.


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LIFESHARING RECOGNIZED FOR HOSPITAL OUTREACH EFFORTS IN SAN DIEGO! Lifesharing's Hospital Services team recently took home a statue at the Finest Awards for an event they organized in November 2023 dubbed, “Lifesharing Unive...

“LET YOUR LIFE SOAR” 🌹 Our first look at the 2025 Donate Life Rose Parade Float honoring organ and tissue donors.

For the past 22 years, OneLegacy's Donate Life Rose Parade® float has inspired people worldwide to save and heal lives with the powerful message of organ, eye, and tissue donation.

The Let Your Life Soar float features a vibrant scene inspired by the beloved Japanese celebration of Children’s Day. Colorful Koi No Bori (Flying Fish Flags) or windsocks shaped like fish, fly overhead. Streamers bear the family crest, followed by koinobori in a sequence representing father, mother, and children in order of birth. The scales of the koi fish highlight memorial floragraph portraits, in recognition of the wider family of organ donors and the donation community, bringing the gift of life to grateful recipients. The fish windsocks soar over a garden of flowering trees, featuring stone lanterns and a beautiful bridge. Organ, eye and tissue recipients will ride on the float, sharing the gratitude they feel for their donors’ gift of life. Living donors will walk alongside the float, showing the power of living donation.

As the world's most visible campaign, the OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade® float inspires viewers to save and heal hundreds of thousands of people needing organ, eye, and tissue transplants each year.

LIFESHARING WINS 3 GOLD AWARDS, 1 BRONZE and a “BEST IN SHOW” at the Finest Awards 🥇🥇🥇🥉🏆 Thank you to the for recognizing our efforts to promote awareness of organ and tissue donation in the San Diego region. We were awarded these statues for films honoring our organ and tissue donor heroes + public relations campaigns and events that educate the public about donation. Pictured L - R: Lifesharing Hospital Services Manager Matt Kidder, Public Relations Director Anne State and Tissue Quality Supervisor Gwennie Mai. Of note, we share one of the GOLDS and the “Best in Show” with our colleagues at UC San Diego Health - congratulations to them on their many wins as well! And congrats to our hospital partners Scripps Health and Rady Children’s Hospital for their wins, too 👏👏👏 Special thanks to emcee Denise Dador of KABC-TV for doing such an excellent job at the podium 🎤

THANK YOU TO ALL THE FAMILIES who attended our Day of Remembrance this past Saturday 🌹 Together we celebrated the heroes who helped us save a record number of lives last year 🦋 Special thanks to Greenwood Memorial Park, Lifesharing volunteer Valerie James, Violinist LJ Dorame and photographer Andy Paz of 📸 Andy Paz Photography. (These photos are courtesy of him.) The Day or Remembrance was spearheaded by Lifesharing Family Services under the leadership of Director Wendy Garrison and her amazing team. Lifesharing staff members volunteered their time at this beautiful event 💙💚 It is an honor and a privilege to serve San Diego and Imperial counties as the region’s organ procurement organization

NEW VIDEO 🎥: Lifesharing’s Day of Remembrance 🌹 On Saturday, we honored the organ and tissue donor heroes who helped us save a record number of lives in 2023 and heal thousands more. Lifesharing held its annual "Day of Remembrance" ceremony at Greenwood Memorial Park and Mortuary on May 11, 2024. Our deepest gratitude to all the families who attended this special event.
Special thanks to our friends at Greenwood Memorial for allowing us to hold our ceremony on their beautiful grounds.
Special thanks to inspirational speaker Valerie James.
Special thanks to violinist L.J. Dorame for his beautiful performance during the program.
Thank you to all the Lifesharing staff members who volunteered their time that day.
The Day of Remembrance was organized by Lifesharing Family Services Director Wendy Garrison and her team.
Video by Lifesharing Public Relations Director Anne State

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Lifesharing's Day of Remembrance 2024 Honoring the organ and tissue donor heroes who helped us save a record number of lives in 2023 and heal thousands more.... Lifesharing held its annual "Day o...

HEALING THROUGH ARTWORK: NURSE KIERSTEN SMITH BRINGS ART SHOW TO LIFESHARING 🎨 In honor of Nurses Week, we are celebrating the beautiful event that was co-organized by Lifesharing Nurse Kiersten Smith in collaboration with UC San Diego Health's Evidence Based Practice (EBP) Council. The Journal Club and Art Show -- which took place November 17, 2023 -- transformed Lifesharing's Learning Center into a museum for the day! Several talented Lifesharing artists displayed their work during the show as well. The event showcased paintings, woodwork, bowls, figurines and poetry.
Art is healing, is it not?

HEALING THROUGH ARTWORK: NURSE KIERSTEN SMITH BRINGS ART SHOW TO LIFESHARING In honor of Nurses Week, we are celebrating the beautiful event that was co-organized by Lifesharing Nurse Kiersten Smith in collaboration with UC San Diego ...

SHARING OUR MISSION WITH ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES IN SACRAMENTO! Education is a big part of what we do — and we want to be a resource for lawmakers in the state capitol. Pictured from L-R: Lifesharing Director of Donor Development and Strategic Partnerships Samantha Blaz, California Assemblyman Brian Maienschein, Lifesharing Family Services Specialist Scott Lucas. Sam and Scott flew up to the state capitol yesterday for Legislative Advocacy Days… a whirlwind series of meetings with elected officials to talk about organ and tissue donation and answer any questions they may have. We are always humbled by the genuine interest and curiosity displayed by lawmakers and their staffers in these one-on-one meetings. And we’re grateful for the opportunity to educate policy makers on the importance of organ donation. Our state has the longest transplant waiting list in the nation by far: more than 21,000 Californians need a lifesaving organ right now.
Special thanks to Donate Life California Program Manager Lacey Felder for organizing this incredible effort. Donate Life California is the nonprofit group that operates California’s organ donor registry.

CONGRATULATIONS TO STEPHANIE GONZALEZ — LIFESHARING’S NURSE OF THE YEAR FOR 2024! In every organization, there are people you turn to when the chips are down. At Lifesharing, Stephanie Gonzalez is one of those people. Stephanie is one of our organ procurement coordinators: she helps keep organs viable for transplant while she finds matching recipients on the transplant waiting list. Over the years, she has emerged as a strong leader within our nursing ranks, frequently serving as on-call administrator. In that role, she monitors all organ donor cases across San Diego County simultaneously — keeping tabs on the movements of our team as well as the transplant teams. On a busy night, the job of the on-call administrator can be very stressful. Stephanie is an amazing communicator and she takes command of every situation — providing clear direction to the medical teams on the ground and ensuring that every grieving donor family is taken care of throughout the donation process. She is a hard worker, a team player and an extremely inclusive leader. She makes everyone feel respected and heard. And her sense of humor keeps us going, even on the longest of days.
As if that wasn’t enough, Stephanie and fellow nurse Nicole Fernandez created a “Venmo grocery store” in Lifesharing’s cafeteria so staff members would always have something to eat when working late. The two keep the store stocked with the finest snacks and meals from Costco — Stephanie is admittedly partial to the Kirkland brand 🙂 She has an amazing ability to bring people together; it’s not unusual for her to organize fun activities and social gatherings for the team outside of work.
Stephanie credits her close-knit family for making her the person she is today — her grandmother Mimi was one of the guiding figures in her life. When Stephanie was young, Mimi received a liver transplant and thrived for 17 years. This inspired Stephanie to pursue a career in the field of organ donation and transplantation. We are fortunate to have Stephanie on our team!

HAPPY NURSES WEEK TO THE MOST AMAZING TEAM IN SAN DIEGO! Lifesharing nurses and nursing leaders have one of the most challenging jobs in healthcare: Turning death into life for others through organ donation. Using extraordinary clinical skills, our nurses work to keep organs viable for transplant while they search for the best matching recipients on the waiting list. Each year, our nurses help transplant hundreds of vital organs such as hearts, lungs, livers and kidneys.
📸 Lifesharing nurses pictured here:
Top row – Nurse of the Year Stephanie Gonzalez, Director of Family Services Wendy Garrison, Executive Director Jeff Trageser, Director of Organ Operations Darryl Nethercot, Clinical Educator Michelle Tilley.
2nd Row -- Courtney Kutach, Kiersten Smith, Casey O’Brien, Hannah Turner, Debbie Woods.
3rd Row – Nicole Fernandez, Laura Toma, Andres Trujillo, Margie Strang, Emily Jones
4th Row – Lina Elasmir, Jenny Montgomery, Ryan Brooks, Jordan Serati, Alli Wayne
Not pictured: Becca Van Antwerp, Zach Delia

CONGRATULATIONS TO LIFESHARING ASSISTANT COORDINATOR COLIN NUNGESSER: He recently received his badge from the Viejas Fire Department! (📸 These photos of the badge-pinning ceremony are courtesy of photographer Andrew Truman.) Colin is a reserve firefighter for the Viejas Fire Dept in Alpine and also works as an EMT with the San Marcos Fire Department. Needless to say, he has a very busy schedule! As an assistant coordinator for Lifesharing, he travels to hospitals all over San Diego to evaluate patient cases. The work of our assistant coordinators is vital to our mission – they help us identify opportunities to save lives. [Note: You can only become a Lifesharing organ donor if you receive the highest level of medical care, prior to death. If doctors don’t try to save your life – we won’t be able to transplant your organs.]
Saturday is International Firefighters’ Day.

🎥: HAPPY VOLUNTEER WEEK! This video is a tribute to the transplant recipients, donor family members and Lifesharing employees who make up our amazing volunteer team! Our volunteers help us educate the public about organ donation and transplantation. Special thanks to volunteer LeeAnn Pusateri, who gave more than 70 presentations in a single year! And additional thanks to volunteer Marlon Gardinera who gave more than 50 presentations over the same time period! During the 2022-2023 school year, our high school volunteers educated 13k+ students! (They went to 64 schools and gave 263 classroom presentations.) So far this school year, our volunteers have educated 8k+ students!
BIG SHOUT-OUT to Christy Heymann who leads Lifesharing’s volunteer program…. She has grown this program by leaps and bounds; her dedication is second to none. And KUDOS to Lifesharing Hospital Analyst Jean Moneda for her assistance with the volunteer program!
Video shot and edited by Lifesharing PR Director Anne State

LIFESHARING CELEBRATES NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK 2024 Happy volunteer week to the transplant recipients, donor family members and Lifesharing employees who make up our amazing volunteer team!.Video shot and edit...

JUST IN: The Sweetwater Union High School District Board of Trustees issues a resolution designating April as Donate Life Month! Thank you to Lifesharing Volunteer Manager Christy Heymann and volunteers Michael Adams, Donna Saracho and Paul Woods for your roles in this momentous occasion! (Michael, Donna and Paul are all transplant recipients.) Happy Donate Life Month 💙💚

SO AWESOME 💙💚

DON’T FORGET TO WEAR BLUE AND GREEN ON FRIDAY! Show your support for organ and tissue donation by wearing the colors of the Donate Life logo…. Friday April 12th is National Blue and Green Day 💙💚

HOW COOL… AN ECLIPSE DURING DONATE LIFE MONTH! Safety glasses are a must 💙💚

SAVED BY A LIFESHARING HERO 💙💚 Big thank you to our partners at Sharp HealthCare for sharing the beautiful story of Daniela Castro. In 2019, Daniela received a kidney from 7-year-old Gavin Raceles, a Lifesharing organ donor. Gavin’s life was tragically cut short by a medical condition and his parents made the selfless decision to donate his organs. Gavin saved three lives when Lifesharing found matching recipients for his heart, liver and kidneys. In honor of this heroic final act, Gavin’s floral portrait was featured on the Donate Life Rose Parade Float on January 1st of this year. Daniela and her family helped Gavin’s parents put the finishing touches on his Rose Parade portrait: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPDcXV9I0wU
We are humbled and privileged to coordinate organ and tissue donation in San Diego and Imperial counties.



https://www.sharp.com/health-news/after-years-on-dialysis-a-transplant-changes-womans-life

Daniela Castro Receives Kidney Transplant at Sharp | Sharp HealthCare Daniela Castro’s life was saved by a kidney donation from Gavin Raceles, a 7-year-old boy who tragically lost his life in 2019.

CELEBRATING THE MEN AND WOMEN who helped Lifesharing save a record number of lives last year and heal thousands more 💙💚 On the first day of Donate Life Month, the Western Metal Supply Company Building was filled with doctors, nurses, transplant teams, professionals and volunteers from San Diego’s organ, eye and tissue donation community. This amazing group is a tremendous force for good in our city, helping thousands of patients every year. Thank you to the Padres for hosting Lifesharing and its partners – we were so excited to see our 2023 Nurse of the Year Casey O’Brien throw out the honorary first pitch! Special thank you to Lifesharing Executive Director Jeff Trageser, Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships Samantha Blaz and Hospital Analyst Jean Moneda (the main organizer!!) for spearheading this incredible reunion. And our deepest gratitude to Hannah Plackowski of the Padres for giving us this remarkable opportunity. A huge THANK YOU to all of the Lifesharing employees who volunteered their time last night to help check in guests, etc. We are so grateful to everyone who came out to celebrate the start of Donate Life Month.
Video by Lifesharing Public Relations Director Anne State.

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CELEBRATING OUR PARTNERS AT PETCO PARK! On the first day of Donate Life Month, the Western Metal Supply Company Building was filled with doctors, nurses, transplant teams, professionals and volunte...

DONATE LIFE MONTH💙💚

Two years ago, Peyton Nurse became a Lifesharing organ donor. The grateful heart recipient just named his newborn daughter “Peyton” after our hero 💙💚

Family of La Mesa organ donor meets baby named after their late son Harley Duffer’s donor was 21-year-old Peyton Nurse, a Cal State Northridge graduate from La Mesa who died in a car accident in 2022.

GRATEFUL HEART RECIPIENT NAMES HIS BABY AFTER THE LIFESHARING ORGAN DONOR WHO SAVED HIS LIFE 💙💚 [Video courtesy: CBS 8 San Diego] On Friday, Lifesharing reunited the family of organ donor Peyton Nurse with the man who received their loved one’s heart and kidney. This was the third time both families have gotten together, but this meeting was extra special. Heart/kidney recipient Harley Duffer and his wife Justine brought their newborn daughter, Peyton…. She is named after our organ donor hero 🦋 Big thank you to Abbie Black of CBS8 for covering this beautiful story and paying tribute to our donor.
Peyton’s mother Lesley Nurse says her son “lived fully and loved deeply” -- he had an “unconditional love” for his fellow man. Peyton’s father Nigel Nurse says his son was the kindest person he ever knew. When Peyton got his driver license, he checked the box to be an organ donor. This decision ultimately saved the lives of three people. When Peyton’s life was cut short in a tragic auto accident in 2022, Lifesharing nurses were determined to carry out his final wish to be an organ donor – they found matching recipients for Peyton’s heart, lungs and kidneys. Peyton also donated his tissues.
Harley Duffer received Peyton’s loving heart and one of his kidneys – he has grown extremely close to Peyton’s family over the last year. “Their son saved my life, so I feel like I owe them everything. They did the best job raising their son,” he said.
We are grateful to the Duffer family for all their efforts to honor our hero… it was a proud moment when we welcomed Baby Peyton into the Lifesharing family!


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Organ donor's family meets baby named after their late son A La Mesa man who was killed in a car accident, two years ago was honored today for helping others.Peyton Nurse was 21 years old when he died and was a desig...

Lifesharing volunteer Rudee Slavik lost her Dad when she was only 3 years old — his funeral is the only memory she has of him. That poignant image inspired Rudee to become a funeral director herself, providing compassionate care to families as they begin their journey of grief. Rudee’s father was a tissue donor and she frequently speaks on behalf of Lifesharing, telling audiences how her father’s heroic final act impacted her life: “My mother decided to donate his corneas, skin and tissue,” she explains. “That’s kind of what drives me. His death wasn’t in vain — it mattered to people.”
Today is National Funeral Director Day and we extend our deepest gratitude to all the local funeral homes who work with our donor families – your efforts are truly appreciated.
Editor’s note: the casket in this video is empty.
🎥 Video by Anne State, Lifesharing’s Public Relations Director

"HIS DEATH WASN'T IN VAIN" -- Daughter of Tissue Donor Hero “HIS DEATH WASN’T IN VAIN… IT MATTERED TO PEOPLE” — Rudee Slavik, daughter of tissue donor. Rudee lost her Dad when she was only 3 years old — his funeral...