Raul Sansores

Type of Donation:       Liver Recipient

Age and Location:      52, UCLA-Ronald Reagan

Donation Date:           August 6, 2021

Sponsor:                      OneLegacy

RAUL’S STORY

At 16, Raul Sansores read the question, "Would you like to register to be an organ donor?" at the DMV. Instantly, he answered yes, and his connection began with Donate Life.



Raul married his high school sweetheart and, a year later, had his first child, a beautiful daughter. Soon after, he had his second child, a healthy husky boy, and his last child, a sweet, loving girl. With their three children, Raul and his wife enjoyed a good life with ups and downs. Raul was never a sports fan, but his older daughter loved soccer. Raul had no choice but to love it, too. Raul was lucky his other kids loved the same sport. Throughout his children's youth, Raul never missed an opportunity to be involved. Raul became their coach and the "go-to" father to chaperone school field trips. To the misfortune of his children, Raul and all their teachers knew each other on a first-name basis.



On June 1st, 2021, Raul was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease. At that point, he was told he had five months to live. Raul accepted his future, but through the strength of his children and wife, Raul decided he was going to survive. On August 1st, 2021, Raul was put on the transplant list. Five days later, he was told there was a match, and he would be transplanted the next morning. The following morning, Raul began a new blessed life because of a special gift from a special person, his donor.



Ten days after his transplant, Raul was evicted from his hospital bed, and eight months after that, he was told he could go back to living life. Raul now works for a non-profit resource center and aids the impoverished, the unhoused, and hungry community members. A year after his transplant, Raul became an ambassador for OneLegacy. Raul spends his spare time at events, educating, and explaining the blessing of donating life. Raul also speaks at hospitals and DMV offices. Raul will celebrate his 30-year anniversary with his high school sweetheart this year.



To his donor's family, whom Raul has not yet met, he wrote in part, "... you've changed me, I'll bring as much happiness and joy, I'll uplift, I'll mentor, I'll teach, I'll console, I'll cry with, I'll cry for, and every day I'll keep doing that all over again."