Alex Encila

Type of Donation:       organs, tissue and corneas

Age and Location:      Age 20 - Seattle, WA

Donation Date:           11/03/2019

Sponsor:                      Honored by LifeCenter Northwest

ALEX’S STORY

Annabelle Encila Pendon shares that her son, Alex Encila, was a kind and funny guy. “You would first notice his smile and big dimples,” she says. Alex made friends everywhere. He played guitar, wrote his own songs, and he could easily connect with others through music. His friends were special to him. They say that he had a way of listening that made them feel valued.

Alex passed away at the young age of 20 from a head injury at the gym. He wasn’t a registered organ donor, but Annabelle felt that organ donation was the right choice for her son who always tried to help others. “I thought, ‘I will see him through others.’ Basically, with his gift, he will live on,” Annabelle says.

Alex loved basketball, but when he didn’t make the high school team, he wanted to work with a private trainer. Annabelle couldn’t afford it, but this didn’t deter Alex. His friends at the local YMCA let him in to work out, and Alex coached youth basketball for more time on the court.

Days after losing Alex, Annabelle discovered his car covered in flowers in the driveway. One card read: “Alex changed my life. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here.”

Alex’s gift of life changed numerous lives through his miraculous donation of seven organs including his kidneys, pancreas, liver, heart, lungs, corneas, and tissue. Today, Annabelle is close to her son’s lung recipient, Donald, who is grateful for the chance to meet his future grandchildren. He also shares that he’s a good sleeper and loves to eat – just like Alex.