National Hispanic Heritage Month: Ann Lopez

National Hispanic Heritage Month

Celebrating contributions by the Hispanic Community to organ, eye and tissue donation & transplantation

Living Kidney Donor Ann Lopez

Ann Lopez has worked in a myriad of capacities in the entertainment industry. She spent five years in regional theater before moving to Los Angeles, where she appeared in more than 60 national and regional commercials.

“I loved being in front of the camera but I had been acting since I was 11 years old and wanted a change,” Ann said. She was offered a job in casting at Disney, where she met her future husband, George Lopez, during an audition. Always up for a new challenge, Ann started producing television specials and movies, most recently “Speedy Gonzalez,” a feature film in production with New Line Pictures. She continues to act and recently appeared on “The Black Swan” episode of Curb your Enthusiasm and filmed a pilot for an ensemble talk show with Telepictures.

Ann’s most recognized and respected role may never be in front of the cameras, however. In 2005, she donated a kidney to her husband George. Later that year, she and her daughter placed a rose in his name on the Donate Life Rose Parade Float. Soon after, Ann and George became national spokespeople for The National Kidney Foundation.

“I feel so blessed to have been able to give my husband the gift of life,” said Ann. “My goal is to help garner national attention to organ donation, especially living donation, as well as education about prevention and screening for kidney disease.”

It is with this goal in mind that the Lopezes launched The Ann & George Lopez Foundation. As the co-founder and principal of the foundation, Ann guides and approves the foundation’s strategic goals, helps develop the organization’s overall direction, and advocates for and focuses public attention on the foundation’s key goals.

When she is not advocating for donation, Ann lives with her husband George, their daughter Mayan, and a menagerie of seven dogs one cat, and a fish.

Story courtesy of Donate Life Rose Parade Float