I was born on November 26th, 1968 to Doris and Eric Thirtle. Growing up, I did not have much of a relationship with my father. Mom was the backbone of the family. In 1992, my father was diagnosed with a kidney disease called IGA Neuropathy which progressed to the point where he needed to start dialysis 3 times a week, in November 1997. After being on dialysis for 3 years, he was told he either…
November 12th, 2010 we got the call…they had lungs for Savara. She had just come out of foot surgery when we got the call. Savara had suffered from a condition called dermatomyositis, which caused her to develop pulmonary hypertension. She was so calm as she waited for the lung transplant…after a sleepless night, they told us she had successfully made it through the surgery and we got see our princess with her new lungs. After…
August 25, 2009, Luis “Louie” Tijerina, a 21 year old Odessa man, was lost in an accident in Odessa. His ten day ordeal in ICU at the Medical Center Hospital began on August 16, 2009. Louie was admitted into the hospital as a John Doe as his clothes and wallet had been ripped away after being ejected from the vehicle in which he rode, making it hard to ID him at the time of admittance….
William Austin Todd was born February 17, 1988, in Escondido, CA. Willie grew up in Oceanside, CA, and then moved to Leander, Texas. Our “Willie” is deeply missed by long time friends and family from these areas that he grew up in. He was a brilliant student, and received many honors for excellent grades and achievements. He played football, baseball, and loved to ride his skateboard. When he got really good on his skateboard he…
“Every time you go away, you take a piece of me with you…” — these are the lyrics to a song that my daughter, Annette and I used to laugh at when it was popular in the nineties. Now, we laugh at it for its literal meaning, because, in August, 2009, she gave me the best birthday present I ever got – her healthy right kidney. For several years, my kidney failure from Type 1…
Sylvia and Abe Torres lost their son, Zachary when he was 11years-old. He passed away on Jan. 3, 2005. Zachary was able to save the lives of others because he was a compassionate young man that wanted to be a hero in all facets of his young life. Zachary dreamed of leaving the little town of Slaton, Texas and making it big to be the next Julius Jones or Roy Williams, both National Football League…
Rocky Trammell, at the age of 20, gave the gift of life. On July 3, 2014 he succumbed to injuries resulting from a severe car accident. On July 4, 2014, he donated Post Circulatory death, which meant his heart stopped beating. He was able to donate his liver, kidneys, eyes and tissue. Rocky was an amazing father, son, and friend. The love he had for his son Kaden was priceless, and he loved spending time…
Ben was born and raised in the Texas panhandle. I’m sure you’ve heard the common saying “everything is bigger in Texas”…well, that his how Ben lived and loved. BIG. His smile was big. His personality was big. His heart was big. His laugh was big. His career was big. When Ben walked into a room, he commonly stole the show. He captivated others with his smile, laugh, and his kind nature. He made friends wherever…
I am a mother to a child organ donor, her name is Alma. Last May, a brain hemorrhage took her life. Everything happened so fast. From night to morning my daughter was gone. Alma was a marvelous young girl. She and I would often have talks about organ donation. Since I’ve always been a registered donor, I would always tell her that if anything would happen to me, I would want her to donate every…
Giovanni Valle That Went By GIO, Was A Fun Loving & Caring Boy No Matter What Day It Was Or What Situation He Was In. He Always Found The Fun & Good Side Of Life. Gio Was The Middle Child Of 4 Kids, Loved Creating Content For YouTube & Enjoyed Late Night Walks With His Family. Before Leaving, He Mentioned To His Dad That He Wanted To Help Others In Need & That One Day…