Lifesharing

05/15/2026

THE NATION’S ORGAN DONATION LEADERS HEAD TO CAPITOL HILL TO ADVOCATE FOR PATIENTS ON THE TRANSPLANT WAITING LIST.   This week, we spoke to congressmen and legislative staffers about the importance of organ donation and the critical role organ procurement organizations (OPOs) play.  Each year, the nation’s OPOs help transplant tens of thousands of vital organs such as hearts, lungs, livers and kidneys.   
Pictured in this video: CEO Steve Miller, AOPO President and Exec. Dir. Jeff Trageser, Past AOPO President and current CEO Dorrie Dils, AOPO President-Elect and CAO Allison Erickson and Chief of Surgical Services Charles Strom, MD.
🎥: Aerial photography courtesy of our Artist.io subscription

05/08/2026

WE ARE A VOICE FOR PATIENTS ON THE TRANSPLANT WAITING LIST…. This was quite a moment: all four of California’s organ procurement organizations (OPOs) gathered at the State Capitol. Our partners at brought us all together in Sacramento for a day of advocacy. Collectively, California’s OPOs — — help transplant thousands of vital organs each year. (Think: hearts, lungs, livers and kidneys.) We coordinate organ donation at the end of life and identify matching recipients on the transplant waiting list, using a national database. After this group photo was taken, we spoke to elected officials (and/or their aides) about the importance of organ donation. California has more people on the transplant waiting list than any other state: approximately 20,000. We are fighting for those patients every single day.

transplantation

05/06/2026

HAPPY NATIONAL NURSES DAY TO THE TEAM that was instrumental in transplanting a near-record number of organs last year.    Lifesharing nurses are on the frontlines of the nation’s organ donation system:  they comfort the grieving families of organ donors and work tirelessly to find matching recipients for donated organs.  In 2025, they helped Lifesharing transplant 512 vital organs – including hearts, lungs, livers and kidneys.

Top Row (L-R):  Clinical Educator Michelle Tilley, Director of Clinical Operations Darryl Nethercot, Director of Family Services Wendy Garrison, Executive Director Jeff Trageser, Organ Supervisor Casey O’Brien, Nurse of the Year Jordan Serati

2nd row:  
Debbie Woods, Hannah Turner, Andres Trujillo, Courtney Kutach, Emily Jones, Nicolę Fernandez

3rd row:
Laura Toma, Alli Wayne, Kiersten Smith, Stephanie Gonzalez, Jennifer Nada, Ryan Brooks

4th row:
Sarah Harris, Gina Bragiel, Brittany Haradon, Becca Van Antwerp 

04/30/2026

ORGAN DONOR’S MOTHER NAMED “COMMUNITY MEMBER OF THE MATCH” at 🦋 Before the and took to the field on Saturday night, the stadium paused to recognize Natalie Gonzalez, a nurse and volunteer/advisory committee member. In 2013, Natalie and her family were devastated by the loss of their young son, Hunter, aged 10. In the midst of their grief, Natalie made the courageous decision to donate her son’s organs and tissues — she wanted to spare other families the same pain that her family was experiencing. Inspired by her son’s heroic final act, Natalie later became a transplant coordinator at Sharp HealthCare and started volunteering with Lifesharing.
Natalie was surrounded by loved ones as the stadium announcer paid tribute to her:
“For her powerful advocacy and service to our community, inspired by personal experience, Natalie has turned loss into purpose, dedicating her life to organ donation, education, and saving lives through Lifesharing [and Sharp’s Kidney Transplant Center]. Through her work, she helps families navigate difficult moments with compassion, while raising awareness about the impact of organ donation. Her commitment, strength, and heart continue to bring hope and healing to countless families across San Diego. Thank you, Natalie Gonzalez, tonight’s Community Member of the Match.”
Visuals: Nurse in green “Donate Life” t-shirt waves to the crowd on soccer field, surrounded by family and friends

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.