Adaia (Lupe) Sanchez

Donation advocate

Altadena, CA

Honored by OneLegacy

Growing up in Tijuana with a humble upbringing, Adaia Sanchez, better known as Lupe, learned at a very young age how much the kindness of strangers can help save lives. Both her and her sister got very sick and thanks to the help from others, they received medical attention. This act of kindness from others inspired Lupe to persevere in life and pay it forward by helping others in need. Once in the U.S., Lupe helped tutor children in school and at her local library. After raising two children and separating from her husband, Lupe continued volunteering her time to provide medical attention to others in remote towns and countries. Ten years ago, Lupe was introduced by a friend to the OneLegacy Ambassadors program, and since then, she has dedicated numerous hours of her time to help spread the word about donation and encourage the Latino community in Los Angeles to register and donate.

Lupe’s Story

Adaia Sanchez, better known as Lupe, was born in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. The youngest of five children, Lupe’s family went through a lot of hardship when her mom separated from her father and moved to Tijuana when Lupe was only 9 months of age. While in Tijuana, her mom started working as a seamstress at an upholstery factory, sometimes working 12-hour shifts, 7-days a week, to be able to support all of her 5 children. Within a year, Lupe’s two eldest siblings moved to the U.S. to study. A year later, her mom moved to the U.S. to seek better opportunities in life, but her modest salary was not yet enough to be able to bring the rest of her children with her.

Lupe and her two sisters remained back in Tijuana for another two years. While in Tijuana, Lupe and one of her sisters got very sick one day and needed medical attention. Thanks to the help of kind strangers, who took them to the hospital and offered them help, they were both able to survive. After seeing how her sister was affected by meningitis, Lupe promised herself that, whenever she could, she would try to help others, in the same way she was helped when she most needed it.

Once in the U.S. and as soon as she was old enough to help, Lupe started volunteering as a tutor in school and at her local library. After graduating from High School, Lupe got married, had two children and started working in the medical field. 22 years later, she divorced from her husband. During that time, she was working at USC, and she went back to school to become a certified ophthalmic medical technician. She also participated in residency programs, traveling with doctors on medical missions to different countries. She also volunteered once a month to help conduct free eye screenings at the border town of Calexico.

Ten years ago, while working at St. Vincent Hospital, Lupe met Sonia Navarro, a OneLegacy Ambassador who invited her to participate in the Ambassadors program. Since 2007, Lupe has volunteered hundreds of hours of her time to help promote the message of donation. She has been a registered donor for many years, and she donates blood to the Red Cross every 6 months. Lupe is now a proud mom, grandmother and great grandmother, and on her free time, she enjoys gardening and sewing.