SAN ANTONIO — August is national minority donor awareness month. This month presents the opportunity to raise awareness and celebrate organ donation and transplantation in communities of diverse ethnicities and cultures. The Menchaca family says the need is great for people of color to give.
David Menchaca is described by his family as a person who had a good heart and always thought of others. After a motorcycle accident on August 20, 2021, the 24-year-old fulfilled one more selfless act before he died.
Alex, his father, recalled the night his son didn't come home for dinner.
“At first it didn’t really dawn on us that there could be any problems,” Alex said.
Alex and Michelle Menchaca continued to wait for David to arrive, calling him over and over, but he never showed up.
“He had just gotten his motorcycle four months earlier.," Alex said. "It was kind of a rule to not drive at night.”
His parents decided to make calls to police and local hospitals. His mother Michelle, didn't want to believe the worst had happened.
“I kind of intentionally left BAMC and University [Hospital] for the last ones because I know those are trauma-level hospitals," she said.
David’s parents found him at BAMC after a motorcycle accident on St. Mary’s Street near Josephine Street.
“When it was evident that we were given the prognosis that there was nothing else that they could do for him, I brought up that question. I said ‘What about organ donation?’" Alex questioned.
David was registered as an organ donor. Coincidentally, his uncle was in need of a liver transplant.
“My sister had called,” Alex said. “She called me up and said, ‘They just called from the hospital, and they said, it looks like it’s a match!’"
David's uncle, Lucas Lopez, received a life-saving gift from his nephew: a liver – four days after he died.
Kimberly Monroe with South Texas Blood & Tissue says no donation whether it be organ, tissue, or eye is too small to impact the lives around you.
“To have the stars align that everything worked to where David could give that gift to his uncle, it’s a beautiful thing," Monroe said. "It’s just one of those things that take your breath away when you hear the story.”
South Texas Blood & Tissue is hosting an event, 'Diverse Desserts & Donations', on Thursday, August 22, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the South Texas Blood & Tissue Donor Pavilion located at 6211 IH 10 West.
This will give the community an opportunity to taste various desserts across cultures learning about organ, eye, tissue, living donation, blood, and bone marrow donations from organizations. Participants will also have the opportunity to register as donors on the Donate Life Texas state registry and donate blood on-site.