Patricia Gardner: A Selfless Act of Faith and Compassion at the 2025

OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade®

CAMARILLO, Calif., Dec. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Patricia Gardner, a devoted mother and follower of her faith, will be walking as a proud honoree for the 2025 OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade® float. Her remarkable journey of organ donation not only transformed the life of a loved one but also embodies the powerful impact of selfless giving and the belief that, through faith, miracles are possible.

In the spring of 2023, Patricia learned that her children's stepmother, Kathy Mathis, was in desperate need of a kidney transplant. Without hesitation, Patricia felt called by God to see if she could be a match. For Kathy, who had been struggling on multiple donor lists due to complex antibodies that made finding a compatible donor difficult, Patricia's willingness to step forward was an answer to countless prayers.

After initial testing, Patricia was notified in September 2023 that she was indeed a match for Kathy, and by January 2024, she was officially accepted as a donor. However, when Cedars Sinai reached out in February 2024 with a new possibility—an anonymous donor willing to donate in exchange for a better match—Patricia saw this as a divine opportunity. She gladly agreed to participate in a life-saving paired kidney exchange. What began as an effort to help one person ended up benefiting six individuals through a remarkable chain exchange. Patricia believes that when you say "Yes" to God, He multiplies your gift in unimaginable ways.

Beyond the donation itself, Patricia's journey was marked by personal growth and triumph. Facing a lifelong struggle with food addiction, she cried out to God for help on January 23, 2024, and was miraculously delivered from it. This transformation enabled her to lose 15 pounds before the surgery on April 9, 2024, and she has since lost an additional 40 pounds through healthy living. Today, Patricia enjoys hiking and long walks in nature, grateful for the renewed strength and health she has gained.

For Patricia, being called a "hero" feels unwarranted; she sees herself simply as a servant of her Savior. "Jesus laid down His life for us, and as His follower, He calls me to lay down my life for others," Patricia shares. "Organ donation is just one way to answer that call."

As Patricia walks in the 2025 Rose Parade, she carries with her the spirit of faith, love, and the transformative power of saying "Yes" to God's call.

About Donate Life California:

The Donate Life California Organ & Tissue Donor Registry is the nonprofit, state-authorized organ and tissue donor registry which records the decision to donate in a secure, confidential database that is searched by authorized organ and tissue recovery personnel at the time of an actual donation opportunity. It is administered by Donate Life California and California's four nonprofit, federally designated organ recovery organizations: Donor Network West , Lifesharing, OneLegacy and Sierra Donor Services. For more information about the Donate Life California Registry, how donation saves and improves lives, and to sign up, please visit www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org or www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org.

About OneLegacy:

OneLegacy is the nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives through organ, eye and tissue donation in seven counties in Southern California: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and Kern.It serves more than 200 hospitals, 9 transplant centers, a diverse population of 20 million donors and families across the region and waiting recipients across the country. Becoming an eye, organ or tissue donor is easy and can be done by registering online at donateLIFEcalifornia.org/OneLegacy or by "checking YES" at your local DMV.

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SOURCE Donate Life California