Lifesharing is the proud host sponsor of the 2024 Annual Conference of the Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation (AMAT) from September 10 – 13 in San Diego. The theme of the event is, “Empower, Engage, Elevate: Fostering an Inclusive Donation and Transplant Community”. Currently, there are almost 104,000 people on the transplant waiting list in the United States. According to federal data, 62% of those patients are from multi-ethnic communities. AMAT offers cultural competency training and education to help better serve these diverse communities. Several Lifesharing leaders and volunteers will share their stories and expertise at the conference as featured speakers and panelists.

In an unprecedented showing, Lifesharing took home three gold statues, one bronze and a “Best in Show” distinction at the Finest Awards on May 17, 2024. The event was organized by the Health Care Communicators of Southern California and held at the historic El Adobe de Capistrano restaurant in Orange County. Lifesharing was recognized in the categories of internal/external video programs, video news releases, community relations and op-ed/editorials. Lifesharing’s submission in the op-ed category was a joint entry with UC San Diego Health which netted a gold award and a coveted “Best in Show”. At the awards ceremony, Lifesharing Public Relations Director Anne State accepted awards for her films and media efforts while Lifesharing Hospital Services Manager Matthew Kidder accepted an award on behalf of the entire hospital services team. The team was honored for its inaugural “Lifesharing University” event — a groundbreaking program designed to educate San Diego healthcare workers about organ and tissue donation. Lifesharing’s five awards reflect its commitment to community outreach under the leadership of Executive Director Jeffrey Trageser and Director of Donor Development and Strategic Partnerships Samantha Blaz.

On May 11, 2024, Lifesharing held its annual Day of Remembrance at Greenwood Memorial Park in San Diego, California. Recent organ and tissue donors were honored in a beautiful program that included testimonials, live music and an emotional video tribute. The event ended with a butterfly release and a rose dedication ceremony — dozens of families placed roses at the foot of Greenwood’s donor memorial stone. The stone has an inscription which reads: “We honor the heroes who donated their organs and tissues ~ In their last hour, they gave a lifetime.” In 2023, Lifesharing organ donors saved 497 lives, reaching a new milestone for our organization. The Day of Remembrance was coordinated by Lifesharing Family Services Director Wendy Garrison and her dedicated team.

Click to Play Video

Lifesharing was among the Emmy nominees announced May 3, 2024, by the Pacific Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Our short film, “The World’s Biggest Superhero”, was nominated for outstanding achievement by a video essayist— one of only two films nominated in this category. “The World’s Biggest Superhero” is a loving tribute to Lifesharing organ donor Gavin Raceles, 7, of Oceanside, California. Gavin told his parents he wanted to be the world’s biggest superhero, because he wanted to help people. Tragically, Gavin suffered fatal complications from intestinal malrotation just a few weeks after saying those words. Through organ donation, Gavin fulfilled his promise of becoming a superhero — he saved three lives when Lifesharing found matching recipients for his heart, liver and kidneys. Gavin’s parents, Tawni and Chris Raceles, praised their son’s heroic final act in poignant interviews with Lifesharing Public Relations Director Anne State. State served as both the photographer and editor for this Emmy-nominated film. (The “Video Essayist” category recognizes excellence by a single filmmaker telling a story without a reporter, narrator or host.)

In August of 2023, Lifesharing organ donors saved 50 lives through the transplantation of vital organs such as hearts, lungs, livers and kidneys. Each recipient woke up in the hospital with a new organ and a new life. Some of the recipients received more than one organ — Lifesharing helped transplant a total of 61 organs during the monthlong effort. (Lifesharing came very close to its all-time record of 62 organs transplanted in a single month, which was set just a few months ago in May .) This latest milestone was a testament to the generosity of the San Diego community, the hard work of Lifesharing’s organ team and the cooperation of numerous hospital and professional partners. Each organ donation case is a highly coordinated effort involving Lifesharing nurses, surgical coordinators and family specialists. Each case typically lasts a few days and it’s not unusual for our team to manage several cases simultaneously. As of August 31, Lifesharing had facilitated the transplantation of 28 kidneys, 15 lungs, 11 livers, 6 hearts and 1 pancreas in the month of August.

Lifesharing and the nonprofit Transplant Trekkers took the field at Snapdragon Stadium to highlight the importance of organ and tissue donation. They helped unfurl the American flag in a pre-game ceremony before the historic match between Manchester United and Wrexham AFC. The two British football teams played a highly anticipated game in San Diego on July 25, 2023. Transplant Trekkers, a group dedicated to encouraging living organ donation, recruited volunteers from Lifesharing to help unfurl the flag, which spanned almost the entire length of the field and weighed an estimated 2,000 lbs. Dozens of Lifesharing volunteers carried the heavy flag for hours prior to the game, to ensure the American flag did not touch the ground.

Public Relations Director Anne State (center) and her sisters Laura Brown (left) and Laurie Bergman (right) are a proud organ donor family who represented Lifesharing at the Pacific Southwest Emmy Awards in Rancho Mirage on June 17, 2023. Anne was nominated in the “Video Essayist” category for her film honoring San Diego Fire-Rescue Captain Robin Cervantes, an organ donor who saved four lives after he passed away in 2019. The floral portrait of the late Capt. Cervantes was featured on the 2023 Donate Life Rose Parade Float; the film documents his family’s journey to Pasadena. In an interview at the awards show, Anne explained the emotional process of creating films for Lifesharing. “I feel a duty to the families. I just want to tell their story in the most respectful way — in a way that is befitting of a hero.” Anne was quick to credit her Lifesharing colleagues for making these films possible. “This nomination is not just the culmination of my work, but their work, too.” You can watch Lifesharing’s Emmy-nominated film by clicking on the link below:

In May of 2023, Lifesharing helped transplant 62 organs – setting a single month record for the organization. This milestone would not have been possible without the heroism of San Diego organ donors and donor families. Lifesharing’s organ team coordinated donations from several individuals throughout the month, finding matching recipients for organs such as hearts, lungs, livers and kidneys. Approximately one-third of the organs were transplanted over the extended Memorial Day weekend, when Lifesharing managed seven organ donor cases simultaneously. Over a four-day period, 21 lives were saved. During the month of May, Lifesharing also recovered life-enhancing tissues from 49 selfless donors – including skin, tendons and heart valves.

On May 13, 2023, Lifesharing held its annual “Day of Remembrance” in honor of organ and tissue donors from 2022. Collectively, these organ donors helped Lifesharing save a record 437 lives through the transplantation of hearts, lungs, livers and kidneys. The Day of Remembrance was held at Greenwood Memorial Park and featured violinist LJ Dorame as well as numerous speakers. When the presentation ended, attendees gathered outside for a symbolic butterfly release and rose placement ceremony. Dozens of families placed roses at the foot of Greenwood’s memorial stone which reads, “We honor the heroes who donated their organs and tissue. In their last hour, they gave a lifetime.”

Watch Video