Robin Cervantes

Type of Donation:          organs and tissue

Age and Location:          Age 54 – San Diego, CA

Donation Date:             9/04/2019

Sponsor:                   Honored by Lifesharing

ROBIN’S STORY

San Diego Fire-Rescue Captain Robin Cervantes was a hero in life and in death. His daughter says he had “two great loves” in life: his family and his career as a firefighter. Capt. Cervantes was the proud father of seven girls, and he taught them the importance of “family first.” He was charming, funny and absolutely fearless. He was accustomed to racing into burning buildings or donning protective gear as he mitigated dangerous chemical spills. He was a member of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department’s Hazardous Materials Incident response Team (HIRT) – a highly trained group of firefighters. But Captain Cervantes was always in hero mode, even when he was off duty. He was legendary for his random acts of kindness, such as helping stranded motorists or giving shoes to the homeless. Captain Cervantes was a very driven person, yet he appreciated the simple things in life -- his daughter says he wore the same jeans for 15 years and loved scoring free t-shirts. He didn’t care what people thought. He was his own man: honest and generous.

In 2019, Captain Cervantes sustained a head injury while visiting his beloved Hawaii. When he returned to San Diego, his condition worsened, and he tragically died from a fatal brain bleed. In true hero fashion, however, Captain Cervantes found a way to save lives after he passed away. Through the miracle of organ donation, he gave life to four people when Lifesharing found matching recipients for his liver, kidneys and loving heart. He also donated the precious gift of tissue. Right before his organs were recovered for transplantation, Captain Cervantes’ firefighting comrades lined the hallway of the hospital in a silent display of respect. As the captain’s body was wheeled to the operating room, he was flanked by dozens of men and women in uniform. It was the first ever “Honor Walk” held at UC San Diego Health. Captain Cervantes’ daughters were directly behind him in this somber procession, determined to walk with their dad in his final act of heroism. It was an extraordinarily poignant image -- Captain Cervantes, surrounded by the “two great loves” of his life.