Luis “Chito” Mendoza

Type of Donation:          organ donor

Age and Location:          Age 30 – Apaseo el Alto, Mexico

Donation Date:                1/23/2019

Sponsor:                              Honored by OneLegacy

LUIS’S STORY

Luis Angel Mendoza, better known to us as Chito, was a charming young man who loved life. He was born in Mexico. As a child, Luis knew what hard work was.  At the age of 12, he left school to help his mom by getting a job so that he could provide shoes and clothes for himself. A few years later, Luis left his country to come to the United States for a better standard of living and pay. He worked for his uncle Fidel in Florida, as a drywall assistant and he became a man of many trades.

Luis became a family man at a very young age. In 2001, he moved to California and worked very hard to provide for his family. He was a loving husband and a great father. Luis was one of a kind. Luis would have given the shirt off his back to help any person in need. He was my guardian angel here on earth. 

In 2013, our lives changed forever. At the age of 30, a tragic accident took his life. After many tears, much agony and soul searching, I decided to donate his organs so that someone else could have a chance to live. We experienced a miracle when we received notice that his heart was transplanted into a man who was facing imminent death from heart disease. Now this recipient is healthy and living a full life. As Luis’ wife, I’m glad that I made the choice that I made.

It is a great privilege for us, as his family, to have our Luis honored with a floragraph from One Legacy, an organization that is so special to all who are part of it.