Lifesharing

Lifesharing coordinates organ and tissue donation in San Diego and Imperial counties.

The non-profit, federally-designated organ and tissue recovery organization serving San Diego and Imperial Counties.

06/23/2026

✨ THIS JUST IN! ✨ Lifesharing Executive Director Jeff Trageser gets a standing ovation as he concludes his term as president of the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO)! He was recognized for his steady leadership and unwavering commitment to organ donation and transplantation — he has been a key voice on the national stage this past year, standing up for donor families and patients on the transplant waiting list.
In this national role, Jeff made it a point to educate elected officials and federal policymakers about the organ donation process: “Donation is about honoring families, honoring individuals who want to donate and helping people get their transplant”.
When he stepped on stage today, he immediately thanked the entire staff at AOPO for supporting him throughout the 2-year journey where he served as both president and president-elect.
Congratulations, Jeff! We’re proud of you!
Speakers in order of appearance:
Jeff Trageser, Exec. Dir., Lifesharing
Wendy Garrison, Family Services Dir., Lifesharing
Zaira Flores, Tissue Technical Supervisor, Lifesharing
Darryl Nethercot, Organ Clinical Operations Dir., Lifesharing
Steve Miller, CEO, AOPO
Alex Trageser, Jeff’s son
Billy Snyder, Surgical Services Supervisor, Lifesharing
Video by Anne State
Additional footage provided Darryl Nethercot and Michelle Tilley

06/11/2026

“THAT’S SO BEAUTIFUL!” — LIFESHARING’S EMOTIONAL INTERVIEW ON JOURNEY HOME RADIO 🎙️ Lifesharing’s Hospital Services Manager Teresa Zamzow and PR Director Anne State shared emotional stories of organ donation with hosts Iris Wise and Thesa Miele of the Journey Home Radio poscast. The segment also aired on KPRZ 1210 AM and was sponsored by Singing Hills Memorial Park in El Cajon’s tranquil Dehesa Valley.
Special thanks to Todd and the crew at KPRZ for graciously hosting us in their studio!
To hear the full interview, download Journey Home Radio wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also listen to the full interview here: https://kprz.com/radioshow/journey-home-radio

Singing Hills Memorial Park William Scott Prine
KPRZ

06/04/2026

HAPPY PRIDE! 🏳️‍🌈
Visuals: Lifesharing team members unfurl the Pride flag and wave it into the air. Additional stock footage of Pride flags used at the end of the video.

05/27/2026

OUR PR DIRECTOR HAS JUST BEEN NAMED “COMMUNICATOR OF THE YEAR” FOR CHAMPIONING ORGAN DONATION 💙💚 Lifesharing Public Relations Director Anne State took home the prestigious “Communicator of the Year” award from the Health Care Communicators of Southern California - - last Friday. This award is granted to an individual “who has made a lasting impact by advancing the profession of health care communications not only within their organization, but to the entire health care community”. Anne was surrounded by her Lifesharing family at the award ceremony: Director of Donor Development & Strategic Partnerships Samantha Blaz, Lead Hospital Services Manager Patrick Balakian, Advisory Committee Member and High School Outreach leader Christy Heymann, Hospital Services Manager Autumn McClain, and Hospital Analyst Jean Moneda. Anne’s sisters were there to celebrate her big win as well. As PR director, Anne is the person who tells Lifesharing’s story. She works closely with news media and she’s the creative force behind all our social media channels. (She’s the one who takes all of our pictures and creates all of our videos.) Thank you to the Health Care Communicators of Southern California for recognizing Anne’s work and for shining a light on our mission of organ and tissue donation. Additional thanks to photographer David Hanna for taking the group photo at the end of this video. Special thanks to reporter for the excellent job as mistress of ceremonies! When introducing Anne, Camilla said, “What distinguishes our winner among others is her genuine kindness and ability to connect with others in any situation. She is truly an amazing spokesperson and gives from her heart.”

05/20/2026

✨LIFESHARING’S 2026 NURSE OF THE YEAR IS JORDAN SERATI ✨Jordan brings calmness, clarity, and compassion to the organ donation process — she is a comforting presence for grieving families. Jordan knows that organ donation can provide a glimmer of hope in the wake of loss, and she works tirelessly to find matching recipients for donated organs such as hearts, lungs, livers and kidneys. Jordan brings clinical excellence and genuine heart to everything she does. One donor family was so comforted by her presence that they requested her assistance months later when a second family member became an organ donor.

For these reasons and many more, we are proud to announce Jordan Serati as Lifesharing’s Nurse of the Year for 2026.
📸: Lifesharing Public Relations Director Anne State

05/15/2026

THE NATION’S ORGAN DONATION LEADERS HEAD TO CAPITOL HILL TO ADVOCATE FOR PATIENTS ON THE TRANSPLANT WAITING LIST. This week, we spoke to congressmen and legislative staffers about the importance of organ donation and the critical role organ procurement organizations (OPOs) play. Each year, the nation’s OPOs help transplant tens of thousands of vital organs such as hearts, lungs, livers and kidneys.
Pictured in this video: CEO Steve Miller, AOPO President and Exec. Dir. Jeff Trageser, Past AOPO President and current CEO Dorrie Dils, AOPO President-Elect and CAO Allison Erickson and Chief of Surgical Services Charles Strom, MD.
🎥: Aerial photography courtesy of our Artist.io subscription

05/08/2026

WE ARE A VOICE FOR PATIENTS ON THE TRANSPLANT WAITING LIST…. This was quite a moment: all four of California’s organ procurement organizations (OPOs) gathered at the State Capitol. Our partners at brought us all together in Sacramento for a day of advocacy. Collectively, California’s OPOs — — help transplant thousands of vital organs each year. (Think: hearts, lungs, livers and kidneys.) We coordinate organ donation at the end of life and identify matching recipients on the transplant waiting list, using a national database. After this group photo was taken, we spoke to elected officials (and/or their aides) about the importance of organ donation. California has more people on the transplant waiting list than any other state: approximately 20,000. We are fighting for those patients every single day.

transplantation

05/06/2026

HAPPY NATIONAL NURSES DAY TO THE TEAM that was instrumental in transplanting a near-record number of organs last year. Lifesharing nurses are on the frontlines of the nation’s organ donation system: they comfort the grieving families of organ donors and work tirelessly to find matching recipients for donated organs. In 2025, they helped Lifesharing transplant 512 vital organs – including hearts, lungs, livers and kidneys.

Top Row (L-R): Clinical Educator Michelle Tilley, Director of Clinical Operations Darryl Nethercot, Director of Family Services Wendy Garrison, Executive Director Jeff Trageser, Organ Supervisor Casey O’Brien, Nurse of the Year Jordan Serati

2nd row:
Debbie Woods, Hannah Turner, Andres Trujillo, Courtney Kutach, Emily Jones, Nicolę Fernandez

3rd row:
Laura Toma, Alli Wayne, Kiersten Smith, Stephanie Gonzalez, Jennifer Nada, Ryan Brooks

4th row:
Sarah Harris, Gina Bragiel, Brittany Haradon, Becca Van Antwerp

04/30/2026

ORGAN DONOR’S MOTHER NAMED “COMMUNITY MEMBER OF THE MATCH” at 🦋 Before the and took to the field on Saturday night, the stadium paused to recognize Natalie Gonzalez, a nurse and volunteer/advisory committee member. In 2013, Natalie and her family were devastated by the loss of their young son, Hunter, aged 10. In the midst of their grief, Natalie made the courageous decision to donate her son’s organs and tissues — she wanted to spare other families the same pain that her family was experiencing. Inspired by her son’s heroic final act, Natalie later became a transplant coordinator at Sharp HealthCare and started volunteering with Lifesharing.
Natalie was surrounded by loved ones as the stadium announcer paid tribute to her:
“For her powerful advocacy and service to our community, inspired by personal experience, Natalie has turned loss into purpose, dedicating her life to organ donation, education, and saving lives through Lifesharing [and Sharp’s Kidney Transplant Center]. Through her work, she helps families navigate difficult moments with compassion, while raising awareness about the impact of organ donation. Her commitment, strength, and heart continue to bring hope and healing to countless families across San Diego. Thank you, Natalie Gonzalez, tonight’s Community Member of the Match.”
Visuals: Nurse in green “Donate Life” t-shirt waves to the crowd on soccer field, surrounded by family and friends

04/28/2026

SOUTH BAY STRONG! Thank you to the board of the Sweetwater Union High School District for inviting Lifesharing to speak about organ donation during Donate Life Month. Lifesharing volunteer — and organ transplant recipient — Donna Saracho told the audience about her brush with death 15 years ago. Her family was literally planning her funeral when they got the call that a matching organ had been found for her — a gift from a generous stranger. Chula Vista High School senior Liriam Cano told the board that she was inspired to register as an organ and tissue donor after a Lifesharing representative spoke to her class freshman year. The presentation was so powerful, it also inspired Liriam to pursue a career in the medical field. For more information on Lifesharing’s school outreach programs: https://www.lifesharing.org/student-education/ (https://www.lifesharing.org/student-education/)
Pictured L-R: Lifesharing school outreach leader Christy Heymann, Lifesharing volunteer Donna Saracho and Chula Vista High School senior Liriam Cano

Address

7436 Mission Valley Road
San Diego, CA
92108

Telephone

+16195437225

Website

http://www.lifesharing.org/

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