Del Sol Medical Center organ donors honored with “Wall of Heroes”

Intelligent, hardworking, and lovable.

Those were the words Alicia Aofia used to describe her son. Eric Aofia was only 29 years old when he lost his life in a traffic accident.

“He was home one day, gone the next. We found out when we came to the hospital that he had received a severe brain injury,” Alicia told ABC-7.

Eric made the decision to become an organ donor back in 2009. Tuesday, he and many other donors were celebrated at Del Sol Medical Center.

“The Wall of Heroes” honors Del Sol Medical patients who donated organs to others so they could live a fuller, healthier life.

Eric’s widow, Mandy, spoke of how selfless her husband was because of his decision to be a donor.

“My husband was all about taking care of his health, and he wanted a beach body. Little did he know he was gonna save people’s lives.”

Doctors were able to give his heart, lungs, kidneys and liver to people who desperately needed them. One of those recipients was a 50 year-old man in Dallas.

The family said they saw a clip of the recipient and he was so grateful and happy. He said that he felt like a rock star.

A typical donor has about three organs suitable for transplant. Transplant surgeons sent eight of Eric’s to five different recipients.

Eric’s widow is a donor as well. She believes that being an organ donor is a beautiful gift.

“I think that through seeing that he was able to save five lives and five families that are not going through what we’re going through. It’s five people that would not have lived their life. Because of my husband, they will.”