Source: Orange Country Register
ORANGE A year has past since Lili Ibañez's son gave her another chance at life by giving her a kidney.
On Tuesday morning, she and her son, Anthony, 20, toured the halls of the dialysis center at St. Joseph Hospital handing roses to patients undergoing treatment.
On Tuesday morning, she and her son, Anthony, 20, toured the halls of the dialysis center at St. Joseph Hospital handing roses to patients undergoing treatment.
Ibañez came to the hospital in preparation for Friday's Rose Parade. The Department of Motor Vehicles examiner from Anaheim will ride aboard the Donate Life float along with 23 other organ recipients to highlight the need for organ and tissue donations – more than 100,000 people nationally are awaiting potentially life-saving organs to replace failing kidneys, livers and hearts.
Ibañez and her son, who visted the dialysis center to encourage patients and to publicize the float, went from bed to bed, offering dialysis patients a rose and asking them to sign a sweatshirt that she plans to wear as she makes her way down the 5.5-mile parade route.
Ibañez clasped the hands of patients and told them a little about her story. Then she listened to them.
She heard from a 25-year-old, who has been on dialysis for three years. And from a woman in her 70s, who has undergone treatments three times a week for 20 years.
She listened to the story of Wayne White, 72, of Yorba Linda.
"I've been coming here every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday since Dec. 3, 2003," White said.
He smiled and wished her well in the Rose Parade.
"I think it's wonderful that she is getting the message out there about the need for (organ) donations," White said. "There are a lot of people out there whose lives can be changed."
Ibañez was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2006. She continued to work at the Westminster DMV full time.
"I'm of Polynesian background, and I was really sad to hear that we are among the hardest ethnicities to find a match for," she said.
Friends and adult relatives tested to see if they were a match. No luck.
"I didn't want to turn to my son," she said. "He was only 17 at the time. And he's my only son."
But when Anthony Ibañez found out he might be able to help (the minimum age for a donor is 15), he didn't hesitate to get tested.
"It's my mom," Anthony said. "It's either she lives or she doesn't."
Mom and son had the operation Dec. 12, 2008.
Within a week, Anthony Ibañez was out at the mall. Two month's after the surgery, he was back to work playing flag football with junior-high kids at the Boys & Girls Club.
Lili Ibañez was back to work in three months.
At her job, she's not allowed to preach about the need for organ donations – which is difficult, she said, because people often make the decision at the DMV about whether to become an organ donor.
"But if I hear people debating it," she said, "I don't hesitate to share my story."
The single mother, who also has a daughter, Catherine, 18, said she dreamed of having children from a young age.
"I just never imagined that the son who I gave life to would be the one to save my life," she said.
Because Ibañez found a match so soon, she avoided dialysis.
Seeing a roomful of patients hooked up to machines and hearing patients' stories on Tuesday made her choke back tears. She was amazed how many smiled and congratulated her when she told them she'd received a kidney.
"They are congratulating me? I didn't do anything," she said. "I just was one of the lucky ones."
Ibañez said her thoughts will be with the dialysis patients as she makes the trip along the parade route. She's also encouraged knowing that a worldwide television audience of 40 million will be watching.
"It's great to get the message out there to so many people," she said. "But I also want to give those in need of a (organ) donation hope to see all of us together. We're products of successful transplantations – and getting on with life."
Ibañez and her son, who visted the dialysis center to encourage patients and to publicize the float, went from bed to bed, offering dialysis patients a rose and asking them to sign a sweatshirt that she plans to wear as she makes her way down the 5.5-mile parade route.
Ibañez clasped the hands of patients and told them a little about her story. Then she listened to them.
She heard from a 25-year-old, who has been on dialysis for three years. And from a woman in her 70s, who has undergone treatments three times a week for 20 years.
She listened to the story of Wayne White, 72, of Yorba Linda.
"I've been coming here every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday since Dec. 3, 2003," White said.
He smiled and wished her well in the Rose Parade.
"I think it's wonderful that she is getting the message out there about the need for (organ) donations," White said. "There are a lot of people out there whose lives can be changed."
Ibañez was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2006. She continued to work at the Westminster DMV full time.
"I'm of Polynesian background, and I was really sad to hear that we are among the hardest ethnicities to find a match for," she said.
Friends and adult relatives tested to see if they were a match. No luck.
"I didn't want to turn to my son," she said. "He was only 17 at the time. And he's my only son."
But when Anthony Ibañez found out he might be able to help (the minimum age for a donor is 15), he didn't hesitate to get tested.
"It's my mom," Anthony said. "It's either she lives or she doesn't."
Mom and son had the operation Dec. 12, 2008.
Within a week, Anthony Ibañez was out at the mall. Two month's after the surgery, he was back to work playing flag football with junior-high kids at the Boys & Girls Club.
Lili Ibañez was back to work in three months.
At her job, she's not allowed to preach about the need for organ donations – which is difficult, she said, because people often make the decision at the DMV about whether to become an organ donor.
"But if I hear people debating it," she said, "I don't hesitate to share my story."
The single mother, who also has a daughter, Catherine, 18, said she dreamed of having children from a young age.
"I just never imagined that the son who I gave life to would be the one to save my life," she said.
Because Ibañez found a match so soon, she avoided dialysis.
Seeing a roomful of patients hooked up to machines and hearing patients' stories on Tuesday made her choke back tears. She was amazed how many smiled and congratulated her when she told them she'd received a kidney.
"They are congratulating me? I didn't do anything," she said. "I just was one of the lucky ones."
Ibañez said her thoughts will be with the dialysis patients as she makes the trip along the parade route. She's also encouraged knowing that a worldwide television audience of 40 million will be watching.
"It's great to get the message out there to so many people," she said. "But I also want to give those in need of a (organ) donation hope to see all of us together. We're products of successful transplantations – and getting on with life."
To become an organ, eye and tissue donor in California please visit Donate Life California
To learn how to become a donor in your state please click HERE
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