The season of generosity
12/21/2023‘Tis the season of giving during which the warmth of kindness and the spirit of generosity fill the air!
As we immerse ourselves in festivities, it’s important to reflect on the true essence of the holiday season. Sometimes, the greatest gift does not come with a bow. Instead, it is the choice to give the gift of life. Anthony Phillips and the Lopez sisters are fantastic examples of how the choice to share life can impact a person and their families.
Choosing to give
Anthony Phillips loved to laugh and smile. “He was a jokester,” says Vivian Phillips, his sister. His smile was as big as his love for cars.
For more than 20 years, Anthony owned a car detail shop. “He was the absolute best at it,” Vivian says. In his free time, Anthony loved to spend time in the kitchen and whip up new recipes.
In March 2022, Anthony passed away from complications from a brain surgery. The Phillips family had no idea about Anthony’s status as a registered organ and tissue donor.
“We found out within the last week of his life,” says Vivian.
Collectively, they were in full support of his decision to donate life. He offered healing to dozens of people, including through the gift of his heart valves, which go to pediatric patients 75% of the time to save their lives, often from congenital heart defects. And today, the Phillips family continues to remember Anthony’s legacy and encourage others to register as donors, too.
“We tell his story to bring light to the subject,” Vivian says.
abnormal Hearts
Adolfo Lopez, a heart recipient, and his wife faced a painful reality when they discovered that both their daughters, Adina and Andrea Lopez, 11 and 12, needed heart transplants due to cardiomyopathy.
The excruciating wait for available hearts was compounded by the fact that thousands of children across the nation are in need of transplants.
Adolfo grappled with anxiety surrounding the availability of donated hearts and which of the sisters would get it first, if at all.
In early 2023, after several months of waiting, Andrea and Adina received their transplants about a month apart—gifts from families battling their own grief. Both sisters conquered their surgeries and were eager to return to their passions for dance, volleyball and other hobbies.
“Heart disease, scars and sickness will never stop your legacy. We have been given the most amazing gift, the gift of life,” Adolfo says. “[My daughters] make me proud in everything they do.”
REGISTER NOW
This holiday season, let us come together to unwrap the true spirit of generosity. Registering as an organ donor is a gift that costs nothing but has the power to transform lives. It is a gesture that goes beyond the season and embraces the impact one can have on another’s life.