Monthly Archives: April 2026

Happy Donate Life Month!

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We educate, inspire, and activate the public to say yes to registering their decision to be an organ, eye, and tissue donor.

 ~ Mission Statement, Donate Life of America

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If you haven’t already registered to be an organ donor, do it today here!

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Sandra, Marisa, Erica, and I were streaming Modern Family the other night. It was a scene right out of the 1970s, when families gathered around the TV to watch their favorite shows. The smart TV screen is much bigger and clearer than my family’s 25-inch console in 1976, and there were no commercials. Otherwise, the vibe was the same. We were laughing out loud at every outrageous situation the show’s colorful characters created for themselves. 

Almost 16 years earlier, I couldn’t imagine that family scene unfolding. In 2010, we didn’t have such a large and sophisticated television, nor was streaming a regular part of our entertainment choices. Those aren’t the reasons for my lack of imagination. During that summer, I was in the ICU fighting for my life, uncertain if I would survive another day. God’s intervention, an amazing healthcare team, and a heart transplant in 2020 made our Modern Family binge night possible.

Before my health crisis, I wasn’t a registered organ donor. The thought never crossed my mind. I wasn’t alone. According to the Health Resources & Services Administration, about half of American adults are registered organ donors, about 170 million people. That sounds like a lot of people. On the downside, over 100,000 critically ill men, women, and children are waiting for an organ to save their lives. At least 13 people die every day as they wait.

In 2003, Donate Life of America, a national nonprofit organization, established and designated April as National Donate Life Month, “to honor deceased and living donors, encourage registration, and educate the public about the life-saving impact of donation.” Congress followed suit in 2024 by instituting an annual resolution recognizing and celebrating National Donate Life Month.

Since the 2010 health crisis and my 2020 heart transplant, organ donation is always on my mind. My post-transplant life has been full of faith, hope, love, activity, joy, sadness, anxiety, celebration, long walks, and extended periods of just living. All of these things were unimaginable a decade and a half ago. The very thought of living with a heart that wasn’t in my chest on the day I was born is profound. The fact that someone lost his life so I could live is humbling.

April is a special month for me. My transplant was on April 16. The nation honors organ donors and living donors and encourages everyone who’s able to register. I try to do my part, too. 

This year, Donate Life Month started two days early for me. On behalf of Transplant Recipients International Organization, I opened the 29th Annual Remember and Rejoice Ceremony before a standing-room-only St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. On April 13, as a volunteer for Donor Network West, an organ procurement organization, I participated in the County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors’ proclamation for Donate Life Month ceremony with a fellow Kaiser Santa Clara heart transplant patient. Before Donate Life Month ended, I had the honor of addressing construction industry leaders at the 10th Annual Hard Hats with Heart fundraiser sponsored by the American Heart Association.

The majestic cathedral in Midtown Manhattan, the board of supervisors chambers, and the elegant Claremont Hotel in Berkeley are all special places. Places I could never have imagined being in as a kid, much less after the Summer of 2010. Wearing tailored suits while rubbing elbows with national transplant advocacy leaders, local elected officials, and industry executives is cool.  

Despite the excitement of public pageantry, the best part of Donate Life Month 2026 was sitting with Sandra, Marisa, and Erica, and watching Jay, Gloria, Manny, Mitchell, Cameron, Lily, Claire, Phil, Haley, Alex, and Luke bring us joy, laughter, and happiness with their crazy onscreen antics. Without a selfless human being who thought of spreading God’s love by sharing his organs for the sake of strangers after he passed through this life, I wouldn’t have had that special moment with my family.  

Thank you to my anonymous donor and his family. Your love of humankind has changed many lives. I encourage everyone who’s reading this blog who hasn’t already registered to be an organ donor to register today here!

Happy Donate Life Month!

Happy Idaho Day: Part 6

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Happy Idaho Day!

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Congratulations, Mr. Garcia. You have a new heart! It’s working great. You have a Ferrari in your chest. ~Dr. John MacArthur, Stanford Hospital, April 16, 2020

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I think about Idaho every day. If you don’t know Idaho, you can meet him by clicking here. He’s my ride-or-die partner. When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is thank God for Idaho. If I have to catch my breath while exercising, I think… uh-oh, is Idaho OK?

I want to talk about him all the time, too, but keep my thoughts to myself. I don’t want family and friends to feel like Jan Brady. “Idaho, Idaho, Idaho.”

Idaho came into my life (and my chest) six years ago today. I’ll never forget the surgeon’s big smile. I’ll never forget his words. “Congratulations, Mr. Garcia. You have a new heart! It’s working great. You have a Ferrari in your chest.” He was happy. I was confused. 

Confusion quickly morphed into depression, the deep kind. Idaho saved my life. I believed that I had ruined it. I could no longer provide for my family in the same way and at the same financial level. I would be a burden. I no longer provided value to others. I had no worth. Idaho kept ticking.

I was lonely. People were struggling with COVID. They didn’t have Idaho (or me!) on their minds. My phone stopped ringing. I sank deeper into the abyss of self-doubt. Despite my foul mood (actually, acting like an ass might be more accurate), Sandra, Marisa, and Erica cheered us on. Idaho kept ticking.

It was a rocky start. The daily follow-up appointments with the great post-transplant team at Kaiser Santa Clara soon became weekly, then monthly appointments. The numbers looked great. Idaho was strong. Although I wanted to give up, Idaho kept ticking.

The amazing nurse practitioner managing my case gave me the tools to keep Idaho healthy and strong. Taking immunosuppressant meds three times a day, walking at least 30 minutes every day, and eating a heart-healthy diet consumed my life. I still didn’t feel well. Idaho kept ticking. 

Sandra suggested psychotherapy. My macho Latino mind said, “I don’t think so.” The nurse practitioner agreed. My therapist was a godsend. She helped me recognize that I wasn’t a failure. I wasn’t worthless. I wasn’t a burden. It took many psychology exercises and a couple of years to get to that point. Idaho kept ticking.

As my mind cleared, I could feel Idaho’s strength and energy. My walks soon became hikes on hilly trails. With an uncluttered mind, I turned to things I love doing. Reading, writing, and thinking occupied my days. I was working again, but not getting paid. And that was ok. Idaho kept ticking.

Working and not getting paid? What a novel thought! That didn’t register in my 48 Viewmont Avenue mind. More therapy. More psych exercises. I started having fun. Idaho and I had a miraculous story. We could give people hope by sharing it with the world. As my thoughts swirled with ideas, Idaho kept ticking.

We published Summer in the Waiting Room: Faith ∙ Hope ∙ Love on the 12th anniversary of the heart attack that started my heart failure journey. The phone started ringing again. “Would you like to travel to Washington, D.C. to advocate for transplant patients?” asked the person on the other line. Idaho kept ticking.

We walked up and down Capitol Hill, sharing our story. Idaho performed like a champ. The phone kept ringing. Speaking to a group of sales execs in Seattle, we got a standing “O.” We shared our story virtually with groups in Connecticut, Michigan, and Southern California. Last month, we shared our story with 2,400 people – friends and families of organ donors – at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Midtown Manhattan. This East Side Catholic boy still can’t wrap my mind around that. Idaho kept ticking. 

Spending time with Sandra, Marisa, and Erica became more meaningful as I began to accept that being the breadwinner didn’t define me as a husband or a father. Sandra and I have gone on getaways to Philadelphia, Seattle, and Cancun. We often have dinner together as I listen to the school superintendent, political consultant, and high school art teacher regale me with stories about their challenging, yet rewarding, days. Idaho kept ticking.

Is life now perfect? Nope. Not by a long shot. I’m a worrier. I still worry. I still have this ingrained belief that I have to do more. I still wonder how long Idaho will keep me going. The chaos in our world makes me anxious. As gas and grocery prices continue to skyrocket, money again is seeping into my thoughts. Idaho keeps ticking.

The good news is that my 6th annual post-transplant evaluation showed that Idaho is still working like a Ferrari. Taking care of a transplanted organ requires discipline, commitment, and hard work. The better news is that Sandra, Marisa, and Erica still give me hope and purpose to keep soldiering on. The best news is that Idaho is still ticking!

Happy 6th Heartiversary, my friend!