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Lake Elsinore proclaims April 2025 as Donate Life Month; local recipients and families share experiences
Summary
The Lake Elsinore City Council issued a proclamation declaring April 2025 as Donate Life Month. Local transplant recipients, donor family members and 1Legacy ambassadors described the impact of organ donation and urged residents to register with the California donor registry or at the DMV.
The Lake Elsinore City Council on the evening of the meeting issued a proclamation declaring April 2025 as Donate Life Month in the city.
The proclamation, read by the mayor, encouraged California residents to register as organ, eye and tissue donors through the state registry or when renewing driver’s licenses at the DMV. The reading cited statewide and national figures about donors and transplants and encouraged community awareness.
Mark Garrido, who identified himself as a donor mom and a 1Legacy ambassador, thanked the council for the annual proclamation and said the local outreach has helped increase registrations. “Because of your support, 2024’s data confirms another record increase in organ donation as well as transplants,” Garrido said.
Erica Hranek, who said she is a heart transplant recipient and a 1Legacy ambassador, described her medical journey and recovery after a 2017 transplant. She recounted being placed on a ventricular assist device and receiving a transplant in April 2017 from a donor she named, and urged factual understanding of donation matching. “Just because you’re an organ donor doesn’t mean you’re automatically going to be a donor,” Hranek said, describing the complexity of matching and the role donors play in saving lives.
Speakers at the podium also noted current wait-list figures discussed during the presentation. Hranek said the state list includes “more than 23,000 in California waiting,” and emphasized that kidney and liver patients can face long waits. She added that some patients have been advised to consider relocating to improve their chances of receiving a transplant.
City staff said the proclamation will be posted with other city proclamations and that 1Legacy will feature it at the Journey for Life run/walk on April 26. Speakers urged residents to register online at DonateLifeCalifornia.org or by selecting “yes” to organ donation on DMV forms.
The council did not take formal policy action on the matter; the proclamation is ceremonial. The presentation included personal stories from recipients and donor families and materials about how residents can register and learn more.
