2019 Catalina “Cathy” Mora

Name:                                    Catalina “Cathy” Mora

Type of Donation:             Living kidney donor

Age and Location:             Age 65 – Carson, CA

Donation Date:                   May 1980

Sponsor:                               Honored by One Legacy

CATHY’S STORY

Born in Lechería, Mexico and the oldest daughter of six siblings, Catalina “Cathy” Mora migrated with her family to the U.S. in 1963 at the age of 10.  She arrived with her mother and siblings one year after her father came to California to work for a local company, and after legal paperwork was processed so that his family could be reunited with him in the U.S. For Cathy, her family has always been a very important part of her life, and she grew up very close to her parents and siblings.

A few years after moving to the U.S., Marta, Cathy’s sister, started experiencing severe health issues.  She suffered from constant fevers and infections, and doctors were not able to find the cause of her ailments.  Finally, one specialist discovered that one of Marta’s ureters was not functioning properly, and the constant onset of infections eventually caused kidney failure.  Marta was listed for a transplant and was placed on dialysis.

Over the next few years, Marta received two kidney transplants that helped her get a chance at a normal life, but after a while, she started rejecting her second transplant, and she was placed once again on dialysis.  At this point, Cathy and her siblings learned about the possibility of living donation, and they were all tested to see if they were a match.

After numerous tests, Cathy, her youngest sister, and one of her brothers were identified as potential matches for Marta.   As a family, it was decided that Cathy would be the best sibling to donate a kidney to her sister; an initial date was set for the transplant.  The original transplant had to be rescheduled; after Cathy found out, she was pregnant with her third child. They waited until Cathy gave birth to her daughter Elizabeth, at which time the doctors scheduled a new transplant date.  The transplant was a success.  Marta started her new life in May of 1980. Marta enjoyed 31 more years of healthy life.  Cathy continued with her normal life as a mom, a wife, and an entrepreneur. She still enjoys good health and she has been able to see her four children grow and become adults.

Marta, Cathy’s sister, met her husband while they were both on dialysis at UCLA Harbor Hospital.  Both Marta and her husband Armando Lugo received kidney transplants from their siblings: Marta from her sister Cathy, and Armando from Mario, his younger brother.  Thanks to the generosity of their sibling donors, Marta and Armando were able to get married, becoming parents, traveling with their family and enjoying life to the fullest next to their family and friends.

Even though Marta passed away in 2011 after battling ovarian cancer, Cathy continues honoring her legacy and sharing the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation by volunteering her time as a OneLegacy Ambassador/Embajadora.  Cathy hopes that by sharing her story, she can inspire others to register and help save lives through donation.