Born in El Salvador’s capital city, Sebastian Castro was very friendly, easygoing, kind, and cheerful. He loved dancing, music, and having family and friends together. Nothing was more important to him than his family and pets. He was a hard worker and a good husband, father, and grandfather. Devoted to church, Sebastian never missed a Sunday mass. He was the life of the party, yet everyone who knew him respected and admired him.

On May 5, 2002, 54-year-old Sebastian had a heart attack which led to severe brain trauma. “After 10 days in the hospital connected to a ventilator, our family made the difficult decision to let him go and donate his organs,” recalled his daughter, Daysi. “We felt deep down that donating his organs was the right thing to do, and it was our dad’s wish, too. Because he was so full of life and wanted to share it with others, he would always say, ‘If one day something happens to me – whatever is still good from my body, use it and give it to someone who needs it if it can save their life.’ He was always willing to lend a hand to those who were in need and it brought him joy to be able to help others.

“Although our father is no longer with us, a little bit of him still lies within those people he helped save. Although his heart has stopped beating, his spirit still goes on. In our father’s honor and legacy, we would like to inspire other families and people to give life through organ and tissue donation so that they, too, can provide the gift of life to others.”