Organ Donation News - New Mexico Donor Services

News
Events

Native American Heritage Month: Uplifting Indigenous Voices In Donation and...

November 3, 2026

During Native American Heritage Month, we reflect, celebrate, and recommit to uplifting Indigenous voices across the donation and healthcare landscape....

See Beyond Yourself: Eye Donation Month Highlights Powerful Stories of Sight, Hope and...

November 2, 2026

See Beyond Yourself During Eye Donation Month with Sierra Donor Services New Mexico and Sierra Donor Services Eye...

In the News: Woman meets family of organ donor who saved her...

October 13, 2026

From NBC News: Four years after receiving a life-saving liver transplant, Victoria Yocum meets the donor’s wife and daughters before spending the day with...

Honoring National Hispanic Heritage...

September 15, 2026

September 15th kicks off National Hispanic Heritage Month! Sierra Donor Services, New Mexico, celebrates the achievements of the Hispanic community and...

“People” Exclusive: Jill Grandas Meets Liver Recipient 25 Years After 9/11...

September 8, 2026

"People" Exclusive: 25 Years after the tragedy on 9/11, Jill Grandas meets the liver recipient she fought to save while a nation mourned....

September is National MVD Appreciation...

September 2, 2026

September is National Motor Vehicle Department Appreciation Month! Thank you to our incredible MVD partners across New Mexico for helping to save and improve...

84-year-old and 91-year-old Become the Two Oldest DCD Donors in DCIDS...

August 6, 2026

DCIDS celebrates the two oldest DCD organ donors in the history of the...

Celebrating Multicultural Donor Awareness...

July 31, 2026

This National Multicultural Donor Awareness Month, Sierra Donor Services - New Mexico invites everyone to learn more, talk with their loved ones, and consider...

MyChart Leads National Pathway for Organ Donation...

June 10, 2026

MyChart and Epic's partnership exceeded 250,000 organ donor registrations in the first year....

Sierra Donor Services New Mexico Celebrates Pride in Every...

June 1, 2026

Celebrate Pride Month with Sierra Donor Services New Mexico as we honor pride in every...

Celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage...

May 11, 2026

Join us in celebrating AAPI Heritage Month throughout...

Christopher ‘Kid’ Reid of Kid N’ Play Discusses Lifesaving Heart Transplant on “CNN News...

April 23, 2026

Sara Sidner speaks with Christopher “Kid” Reid on "CNN News Central" about his near-death diagnosis and heart transplant...

Albuquerque Lights Up Blue and Green to Kick Off Donate Life...

April 1, 2026

On Tuesday evening, Albuquerque City Councilor Renée Grout joined Donate Life New Mexico and local advocates on Civic Plaza for the “Light Up Donation...

One Decision Can Save Lives: New Mexico Donor Services Marks National Kidney...

March 2, 2026

National Kidney Month is more than an opportunity to raise awareness; it’s a time to take meaningful action....

New Mexico Donor Services Recognizes Black History Month: Honoring the...

February 6, 2026

New Mexico Donor Services (NMDS) is proud to join the national conversation recognizing Black History Month throughout the month of...

New Mexico Donor Services Celebrates Milestone Lifesaving...

January 29, 2026

New Mexico Donor Services celebrates the most saved lives in OPO history....

More than 130,000 Individuals Register to Save Lives Through MyChart Donor Registration...

January 28, 2026

Donate Life America (DLA) announced today that more than 130,000 people have registered their decision to become organ, eye and tissue donors through MyChart,...

Happy International Thank You Day: NMDS Starts the New Year with...

January 12, 2026

New Mexico Donor Services celebrates International Thank You Day by thanking donor heroes, families, and supporters who make organ donation...

Honoring Heroes of...

December 15, 2025

Supporters gathered at the New Mexico Donor Services office on Saturday, December 13th, for a powerful and heartfelt evening at the Heroes of Light Luminaria...

New Mexico Donor Services Wins “Best Nonprofit” by ABQ The...

December 5, 2025

We are excited to announce that New Mexico Donor Services has been voted "Best Nonprofit Organization" by Albuquerque The Magazine....

Make a Life-Saving Impact on Giving Tuesday with New Mexico Donor...

December 2, 2025

This Giving Tuesday, we celebrate that spirit of giving and invite you to join New Mexico Donor Services by registering as a...

Breaking stigma, saving lives: Honoring National HIV/AIDS Awareness...

December 1, 2025

New Mexico Donor Services is proud to recognize HIV/AIDS Awareness Month this December, honoring the millions of lives affected by HIV/AIDS and...

New Mexico Donor Services Celebrates Faith and the Gift of Life During National Donor...

November 14, 2025

National Donor Sabbath provides a meaningful opportunity for faith communities to discuss their teachings on donation, celebrate donor heroes, and inspire...

Donate Life America Launches Two-Year Pilot to Boost Living Kidney...

November 6, 2025

Donate Life America, in partnership with the National Kidney Registry, just launched a two-year national pilot called the Donate Life Living Donor...

Native American Heritage Month and the Gift of...

November 5, 2025

November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the strength, traditions, and wisdom of Native peoples throughout New Mexico and across the...

Honoring Día de los Muertos with New Mexico Donor...

November 4, 2025

Every fall, families across New Mexico and beyond gather to celebrate Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a vibrant and deeply meaningful tradition rooted...

Celebrating Eye Donation...

November 3, 2025

New Mexico Donor Services is proud to join the Sierra Donor Services Eye Bank, and other member eye banks throughout the nation, honoring Eye Donation Month in...

In Honor of First Responders Day: A Paramedic’s Gift of...

October 28, 2025

This year, on October 28, we take a moment to honor our first responders, those who rush toward danger, answer when others cannot, and embody courage and care...

Transplant Games: Organ recipients organize Team New...

September 22, 2025

Double lung transplant recipient Bobby Rodriguez is reviving New Mexico’s Transplant Games team for 2026 in Denver, marking the state’s first appearance...

Christian’s gift: Six lives renewed through one life lived ‘wide...

September 15, 2025

At 17, Christian Wright chose to be an organ donor when he applied for his driver’s license. No one imagined that choice would matter so soon, but after his...

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage...

September 15, 2025

At New Mexico Donor Services, we are proud to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15) by honoring the incredible generosity,...

Remembering September 11th and the strength of our...

September 11, 2025

Today we pause to remember the events of September 11, 2001—a day that profoundly impacted our nation and all of us. Even in the face of unimaginable...

Celebrating MVD Appreciation Month: A License to...

September 2, 2025

Every September, we celebrate MVD Appreciation Month, a time to recognize the incredible partnership between New Mexico Donor Services (NMDS), Donate Life New...

Back-to-school, big conversations: Teens and organ...

August 22, 2025

The start of a new school year is more than just fresh notebooks and sharpened pencils—it’s also a fresh opportunity to have important conversations at...

Gym dedicated to 16-year-old organ...

August 4, 2025

A local gym honors Jason Padilla, a beloved member whose life was tragically cut short by a drunk driver. Through organ donation, Jason saved three lives — a...

Celebrating National Multicultural Donor Awareness...

August 1, 2025

New Mexico Donor Services joins the national effort this August to recognize National Multicultural Donor Awareness Month, honoring the diverse donors and...

Women sit and smile at table during event.

Community Baby Expo in Albuquerque supports growing...

July 17, 2025

New Mexico Donor Services was proud to participate in a vibrant and heartwarming Community Baby Expo, hosted at the Alamosa Community Center at the Ted M....

Custom car celebrates the ‘miracle’ of a lung...

July 1, 2025

Grateful for the gift of life, Jose Graciano honors donor hero Raquel Colucci with his custom '85 Cutlass Supreme at the 2025 New Mexico Motorfest....

Picture of news anchor at a desk speaking with Celina Espinoza.

Fallen Bloomfield officer Timothy Ontiveros saves 3 lives by being an organ...

June 9, 2025

Celina Espinoza of New Mexico Donor Services joined KOB 4 to highlight the lives Officer Ontiveros saved through organ...

New Mexico Donor Services discuss their mission to save and improve...

May 12, 2025

Scott Brocato recently spoke with Celina Espinoza, External Affairs and Business Development Director for New Mexico Donor Services, about the importance of...

New Mexico Donor Services Celebrates Donate Life Month During...

May 1, 2025

Each April, New Mexico Donor Services and Donate Life New Mexico observes National Donate Life Month (NDLM). It features an entire month of local, regional and...

Let Life Sing: How Organ Donation Helped an Albuquerque Family Overcome...

April 9, 2025

At the age of 22, Kelli Ingle became a hero. Her young life was cut short in a car crash near the New Mexico-Arizona border three years ago. A year earlier,...

Presbyterian Hospital and New Mexico Donor Services celebrate Donate Life...

April 3, 2025

On Wednesday, Presbyterian Hospital partnered with New Mexico donor services to celebrate saving lives through organ, eye, and tissue...

Fundaxi, The Hydro Bar, and a New Podcast for...

March 25, 2025

“It’s been such an exciting and unexpected journey!” – Luis Hernandez, NMDS External Affairs Coordinator New Mexico Donor Services (NMDS) External...

Santa Fe boy who died from fire injuries honored for organ...

February 14, 2025

The family of 12-year-old Vicente Mendoza pushed his hospital bed down the hall of an intensive care unit at an Albuquerque hospital Thursday evening, with...

New Mexico Donor Services Saves Lives by the Numbers in...

February 5, 2025

New Mexico Donor Services (NMDS) served 90 organ donor heroes whose gifts resulted in 207 lifesaving organ transplants in 2024. Every transplant, and the...

Albuquerque man honored for organ donations that saved 4...

November 13, 2024

Alberta Jones remembered her son Fredrick as a man with a strong will and desire to help. “Every time he got paid. He’d always take out a homeless person....

New Mexico Donor Services Celebrates Indigenous Peoples’...

October 16, 2024

On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we recognize and honor the diverse cultures of indigenous Americans and recognize the triumphs and struggles that comprise...

‘Donor Hero Celebration’ in...

September 24, 2024

New Mexico Donor Services hosted the "Donor Hero Celebration" event in Albuquerque Saturday...

New Mexico Donor Services honors organ donors with local...

September 21, 2024

Those in New Mexico who gave the gift of life were honored on Saturday. New Mexico Donor Services hosted a celebration to honor those who have donated organs...

Father celebrates lifesaving organ...

June 19, 2024

This Father’s Day is extra special for one local father as he didn’t think he would make it this far about a year...

New Mexico Donor Services Celebrates Donate Life...

May 6, 2024

April was National Donate Life Month, and the theme for 2024 was Donors are Super Stars! This theme was inspired by the night sky and the billions of stars...

Organ Donors and Recipients Celebrate the Gift of Life at...

April 26, 2024

April 17, 2017, that was the day Antoniette Suina's life changed forever. Her son, 6-year-old Joel Anthony, would lose his life in a car accident....

New Mexico organ donors impacted 241 lives in 2023, NM Donor Services...

April 26, 2024

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – On Friday, it was an emotional morning at Presbyterian Hospital; they celebrated organ donors for National Donate Life...

New Mexico celebrates organ donors following record...

April 26, 2024

New Mexico celebrates organ donors following record year ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — April is National Donate Life Month. Last year, New Mexico saved a record number...

Organ donations hit a record high in NM, but the wait for kidneys remains above...

April 22, 2024

Organ donations and transplants hit an all-time high in 2023, according to New Mexico Donor Services. Still, over 640 New Mexicans are sitting on a waitlist...

Gifts of Life Give a Grandmother More...

April 19, 2024

While soft-spoken, Alanna, a member of Poundmaker Cree Nation, does not mince her words. Her story is gripping and one that inspires hope, determination, and...

Introducing our new Native American Affairs...

April 19, 2024

Meet Karina Loretto, Pueblo of Jemez, the new Native American Affairs Coordinator for New Mexico Donor Services....

Lovelace Women’s Hospital honors its first organ...

April 17, 2024

Lovelace Women’s Hospital honored the gift made by their first organ donor patient, Tara Velasquez, with a flag-raising ceremony. She was 51 years old when...

Hundreds of New Mexicans are waiting for a...

April 16, 2024

A young transplant recipient shares her personal...

The White House issues Proclamation for National Donate Life...

April 8, 2024

I often say that we are a good Nation because we are a good people, and during National Donate Life Month, we are reminded of why that is true as we celebrate...

March is National Kidney...

March 12, 2024

March is National Kidney Month and to celebrate, we're highlighting influential individuals who were kidney patients, transplant recipients and donors....

Happy International Women’s...

March 8, 2024

To all the trailblazing women who have paved the way for progress, and to those who continue to champion equality and justice, Happy Women's Day! Your efforts...

‘Ordinary Angels,’ Hilary Swank’s new movie celebrates the gift of...

February 21, 2024

“Ordinary Angels,” which hits theaters Feb. 23, tells the story of a determined hairdresser who rallies her community in Louisville, Kentucky, to save the...

Changing Lives: Indigenous organ recipients and donor families reflect on decisions that often break cultural...

February 13, 2024

The only thing Cheryl “Renee” Roybal knows about the heart that now thumps in her chest is that it belonged to an 11-year-old girl from Los Angeles....

Celebrating Black History...

February 9, 2024

“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” Jackie Robinson New Mexico Donor Services celebrates Black History Month by...

Celebrating the Restoration of...

January 30, 2024

I wasn’t blind yet when I had cornea transplant surgery in my left eye a couple of weeks ago, but I’m told that would have likely been my eventual...

Hopi culture showcase at Rose Bowl...

January 22, 2024

Members of the Hopi tribe had a once-in-a-lifetime experience New Year’s day when they danced in the 135th Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. They...

New Mexico Donor Services reflects on their lifesaving achievements in...

January 19, 2024

In 2023, New Mexico Donor Services reached incredible heights in organ and tissue donation and transplantation....

2024 OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade...

January 4, 2024

We rang in the New Year with a celebration of life, remembering our donor heroes Dakota Sams and Frederick Jones and their selfless...

Cheryl “Renee” Roybal: An Emblem of Hope and Unity at the 2024 OneLegacy Donate Life Rose...

December 21, 2023

Cheryl "Renee" Roybal, the distinguished Rider Honoree for the 2024 OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade® float, stands as a living mosaic of hope and unity,...

Native American Heritage...

November 17, 2023

Native American Heritage Month is celebrated each year in November. It is a time to celebrate the traditions, languages and stories of Indigenous people and...

National Donor...

November 7, 2023

Donor Sabbath is an annual nationwide observance, celebrated on November 10-12 this year, which aims at increasing awareness about the lifesaving gift of...

October is Breast Cancer Awareness...

October 16, 2023

No matter who you are or where you live, breast cancer has impacted your life in some way. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which aims to promote...

Double lung transplant recipient goes on hot air balloon...

October 10, 2023

Two years ago, a hot air balloon ride was probably the furthest thing from Jose Graciano’s mind. But on Sunday morning, as the sun’s rays peeked over the...

Double lung transplant recipient goes on hot air balloon...

October 9, 2023

Two years ago, a hot air balloon ride was probably the furthest thing from Jose Graciano’s mind. But on Sunday morning, as the sun’s rays peeked over the...

Eleven-year-old hopes to pass on help on 11th...

July 17, 2023

On Saturday, the Española boy, who underwent a multiple-organ transplant at age 10 months, raised nearly $1,000 on his 11th “transplantiversary” in...

April: A month signifying...

April 29, 2023

April is National Donate Life Month. It is fitting this annual commemoration occurs in spring, the season of renewal. Donate Life Month is set aside to raise...

New Mexico, register as a donor this National Donate Life...

April 29, 2023

By registering as a donor, each of us has the power to save lives. Today, 600 New Mexicans are waiting for lifesaving transplants....

Local man breathes sigh of relief after double lung...

April 27, 2023

Rudy Lucero believes in miracles. He sees one each time he looks in the...

New Mexican Donor Services push for more Native American...

April 27, 2023

More than 600 New Mexicans are waiting for life-saving organ transplants. Native Americans make up 20% of that list....

Record Number of Hearts Donated in...

March 9, 2023

New Mexicans Save Hundreds of Lives through Organ Donation Albuquerque, NM – February 14th, is not only a day to celebrate love,...

The most important gift of the...

December 22, 2022

Each season long after the decorations are put away and leftovers eaten, we realize how blessed we are to have time together. However, for hundreds of New...

Mother of organ donor shares story to encourage organ...

November 30, 2022

KOB 4 talked to someone who’s seen how one decision can make a big difference. Now, she shares the story of a little boy who became a hero, and saved four...

Donate The Gift Of Life On Giving...

November 29, 2022

t’s the most meaningful gift you can give this holiday season, and it won’t cost you anything. This Giving Tuesday New Mexico Donor Services (NMDS)...

Record year for organ donations in New...

March 18, 2022

The head of Donor Services says it is inspiring to see so many people come together to make this happen, especially in a tough year for...

New commissioner in Edgewood got second, third shot at...

March 18, 2022

But the condition of his heart, diseased to the brink of shutdown, left no alternative in May 2007. His doctors at University Medical Center in Tucson told him...

Teen hero among dozens honored for life-saving organ donations in New...

March 2, 2022

At the Sawmill Market in Albuquerque, 88 luminarias were lit to honor state organ donors who helped give hundreds of people a second chance of...

The gift of...

January 28, 2022

Blood is needed by women with complications during pregnancy and childbirth, children with severe anemia, accident victims, and surgical and cancer patients....

Painting encourages organ donation among Native...

November 30, 2021

A New Mexico hospital received a powerful painting promoting Native American organ donation. San Juan Regional Medical Center received a painting titled...

Albuquerque teen given ‘honor walk’ to donate organs after dying in house...

November 18, 2021

An Albuquerque teen who gave his life to save his family from a house fire, made one final sacrifice. At the request of his family, KRQE News 13 was there for...

‘He’s a hero to all of us:’ Albuquerque teen dies saving family from house...

November 16, 2021

A “hero.” That’s how family and friends are remembering 17-year-old Xaven Garcia. The Albuquerque teen died this week after running back into his house...

MVD celebrates National Donate Life...

April 21, 2021

The New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division is recognizing National Donate Life Month in April and encouraging New Mexicans to become organ donors when they obtain...

26 OPOs join new UNOS-led collaborative to increase DCD donor...

April 13, 2021

UNOS is leading a national collaborative improvement project to support organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in increasing recovery of donation after...

Indigenous artist raises awareness on need for organ...

March 2, 2021

Kidney disease is a growing issue across the Navajo Nation – right now in New Mexico, more than 130 Native Americans are on the transplant list waiting for...

SDS news and

events

Native American Heritage Month: Uplifting Indigenous Voices In Donation and...

See Beyond Yourself: Eye Donation Month Highlights Powerful Stories of Sight, Hope and...

In the News: Woman meets family of organ donor who saved her...

Honoring National Hispanic Heritage...

“People” Exclusive: Jill Grandas Meets Liver Recipient 25 Years After 9/11...

September is National MVD Appreciation...

84-year-old and 91-year-old Become the Two Oldest DCD Donors in DCIDS...

Celebrating Multicultural Donor Awareness...

MyChart Leads National Pathway for Organ Donation...

Sierra Donor Services New Mexico Celebrates Pride in Every...

Celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage...

Christopher ‘Kid’ Reid of Kid N’ Play Discusses Lifesaving Heart Transplant on “CNN News...

Albuquerque Lights Up Blue and Green to Kick Off Donate Life...

One Decision Can Save Lives: New Mexico Donor Services Marks National Kidney...

New Mexico Donor Services Recognizes Black History Month: Honoring the...

New Mexico Donor Services Celebrates Milestone Lifesaving...

More than 130,000 Individuals Register to Save Lives Through MyChart Donor Registration...

Happy International Thank You Day: NMDS Starts the New Year with...

Honoring Heroes of...

New Mexico Donor Services Wins “Best Nonprofit” by ABQ The...

Make a Life-Saving Impact on Giving Tuesday with New Mexico Donor...

Breaking stigma, saving lives: Honoring National HIV/AIDS Awareness...

New Mexico Donor Services Celebrates Faith and the Gift of Life During National Donor...

Donate Life America Launches Two-Year Pilot to Boost Living Kidney...

Native American Heritage Month and the Gift of...

Honoring Día de los Muertos with New Mexico Donor...

Celebrating Eye Donation...

In Honor of First Responders Day: A Paramedic’s Gift of...

Transplant Games: Organ recipients organize Team New...

Christian’s gift: Six lives renewed through one life lived ‘wide...

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage...

Remembering September 11th and the strength of our...

Celebrating MVD Appreciation Month: A License to...

Back-to-school, big conversations: Teens and organ...

Gym dedicated to 16-year-old organ...

Celebrating National Multicultural Donor Awareness...

Community Baby Expo in Albuquerque supports growing...

Custom car celebrates the ‘miracle’ of a lung...

Fallen Bloomfield officer Timothy Ontiveros saves 3 lives by being an organ...

New Mexico Donor Services discuss their mission to save and improve...

New Mexico Donor Services Celebrates Donate Life Month During...

Let Life Sing: How Organ Donation Helped an Albuquerque Family Overcome...

Presbyterian Hospital and New Mexico Donor Services celebrate Donate Life...

Fundaxi, The Hydro Bar, and a New Podcast for...

Santa Fe boy who died from fire injuries honored for organ...

New Mexico Donor Services Saves Lives by the Numbers in...

Albuquerque man honored for organ donations that saved 4...

New Mexico Donor Services Celebrates Indigenous Peoples’...

‘Donor Hero Celebration’ in...

New Mexico Donor Services honors organ donors with local...

Father celebrates lifesaving organ...

New Mexico Donor Services Celebrates Donate Life...

Organ Donors and Recipients Celebrate the Gift of Life at...

New Mexico organ donors impacted 241 lives in 2023, NM Donor Services...

New Mexico celebrates organ donors following record...

Organ donations hit a record high in NM, but the wait for kidneys remains above...

Gifts of Life Give a Grandmother More...

Introducing our new Native American Affairs...

Lovelace Women’s Hospital honors its first organ...

Hundreds of New Mexicans are waiting for a...

The White House issues Proclamation for National Donate Life...

March is National Kidney...

Happy International Women’s...

‘Ordinary Angels,’ Hilary Swank’s new movie celebrates the gift of...

Changing Lives: Indigenous organ recipients and donor families reflect on decisions that often break cultural...

Celebrating Black History...

Celebrating the Restoration of...

Hopi culture showcase at Rose Bowl...

New Mexico Donor Services reflects on their lifesaving achievements in...

2024 OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade...

Cheryl “Renee” Roybal: An Emblem of Hope and Unity at the 2024 OneLegacy Donate Life Rose...

Native American Heritage...

National Donor...

October is Breast Cancer Awareness...

Double lung transplant recipient goes on hot air balloon...

Double lung transplant recipient goes on hot air balloon...

Eleven-year-old hopes to pass on help on 11th...

April: A month signifying...