In organ donation, every decision carries weight. Every minute matters. And behind every clinical choice is a family navigating unimaginable loss.

Eight years ago, a OneLegacy donor helped shape the future of organ stewardship and touched not one, but two lives.

On November 24, 2017, 49-year-old Hispanic Mission Hills resident Elmer Valenzuela died unexpectedly following a tragic fall. In the midst of profound grief, his family supported his decision to donate his organs, eyes, and tissue. That decision would go on to save five lives, restore sight, and heal many others.

A Rare Second Chance

One of Elmer’s kidneys was transplanted into a Syrian father of two, Samer Flaih, under the care of transplant surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Veale. Due to a rare medical condition, Samer’s body could not sustain the organ long term.

Moments like these test the very core of donation and transplantation. The kidney itself was healthy. The donor’s gift was strong. The question became: Could this organ still save a life?

Working in close partnership with national allocation teams, OneLegacy made the critical decision to preserve and reallocate the kidney, a rare process known as organ regifting.

That kidney ultimately saved Brenda Johnson, a Los Angeles native who had spent years waiting for the call that would change her life.

One donor. Two lives touched through one kidney.

Innovation Rooted in Stewardship

Regifting is not simple. It requires:

• • Advanced preservation protocols
• • Rapid clinical reassessment
• • Seamless coordination between OneLegacy and transplant centers
• • Ethical clarity and time-sensitive national reallocation

Since that 2017 case, OneLegacy has become the global leader in regifted organ cases, refining the processes that maximize every donor’s gift. As the largest organ, eye, and tissue recovery organization in the United States, serving more than 22 million people, OneLegacy has invested heavily in:

• • Enhanced donor management practices
• • Organ utilization strategies that reduce discard
• • Clinical innovation partnerships
• • Advanced recovery facilities and preservation technologies

But innovation at OneLegacy is not about technology alone.

It is about stewardship.

It is about ensuring that every donor’s gift fulfills its lifesaving potential.

A Reunion Eight Years in the Making

In November 2025, Elmer’s widow and daughters met Samer, Brenda, and their families for the first time at OneLegacy Azusa Recovery and Transplant Center.

There were tears. There were embraces. There was quiet gratitude.

For the Valenzuela family, seeing the lives Elmer saved brought meaning to unimaginable loss. For the recipients, meeting the family of the man who changed their futures was humbling beyond words.

Moments like these remind us why innovation matters.

Because behind every protocol is a person.
Behind every transplant is a family.
Behind every breakthrough is a legacy.

A Global Platform for a Local Hero


On January 1, 2026, Elmer, Samer, and Brenda were honored by Sanofi, a transplantation advocate, on the OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade® float. Their story, one of generosity, resilience, and medical ingenuity, traveled down Colorado Boulevard and into homes around the world.

More than 100,000 people nationwide are still waiting for a lifesaving transplant.

Elmer Valenzuela’s story is proof that progress in medicine is not just measured in data points or surgical milestones. It is measured in lives extended. Families reunited. Futures restored.

At OneLegacy, innovation is not separate from compassion.

It exists because of it.

And because of one donor hero, millions have been reminded of the extraordinary power of saying “yes” to donation.