On April 27, 1998, Christina Bueno was about to start working out at a local gym when she suffered a massive brain aneurysm. A vibrant 28-year-old mother of four small children, Christina was rushed to the hospital and after several tests, her family was told she would never regain consciousness.

A hospital representative visited her family and advised them that Christina was a perfect candidate for organ donation. At first they did not know how to respond to this suggestion. But during a family meeting in the ICU waiting room, they remembered how excited and proud Christina had been about the donor sticker she had placed on her brand new driver’s license that had just arrived in the mail. They knew then that this was Christina’s wish. Her generous act of kindness and loving spirit comforted them in knowing that they had made the right decision to donate her organs.

Christina gave life to four people. While her family does not know who received Christina’s organs, they know that her spirit and zest for life continue to live on through them.

Her family keeps the memory of Christina alive by participating in several Donate Life California and OneLegacy events such as the annual Donate Life Run/Walk and decorating the Donate Life float in the Rose Parade. They have also become Donate Life Ambassadors and speak to raise community awareness about the importance of organ donation.

“We are so proud of our daughter, Christina, for her decision to place the donor sticker on her driver’s license and know that it was a compassionate and generous act of love,” summed up her parents, Jose and Maria Bueno, who have, in turn, raised Christina’s children as loving parents and grandparents.