David Menchaca was only 24 when he was killed in a motorcycle accident three years ago in San Antonio, Texas. But his legacy lives on through his uncle, whose life David saved even after his death.
Prior to David’s death on August 21, 2021, his uncle, Lucas Lopez, needed a liver transplant, David’s family told CBS affiliate KENS.
David didn’t return home for dinner that evening after taking out his motorcycle, according to the report. His parents initially didn’t think anything was wrong until he never responded to their phone calls.
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“He had just gotten his motorcycle four months earlier,” Alex Menchaca, David’s father, told KENS. “It was kind of a rule to not drive at night.”
David’s parents contacted the police and local hospitals regarding their son’s whereabouts. Michelle Menchaca, David’s mother, told the station that they saved Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) and Unversity Hospital for last because they were trauma-level facilities.
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The family later found out that David was at BAMC after the motorcycle accident on St. Mary’s Street near Josephine Street, KENS reported. Upon learning about his son’s dire prognosis from the medical staff, Alex inquired about an organ donation.
It turned out that David was a registered organ donor, and that led to his liver being donated to his uncle Lucas four days after he died.
“My sister had called,” Alex recalled to KENS. “She called me up and said, ‘They just called from the hospital, and they said, it looks like it’s a match!’”
“The change in [Lucas’] physical appearance was so drastic,” Michelle said following David’s gift of life.
August marks National Minority Donor Awareness Month, an initiative intended “to save and improve the quality of life of diverse communities by creating a positive culture for organ, eye, and tissue donation,” according to Donate Life America’s website.
“Family and friends will always remember David for his kindness, generosity, and bright spirit,” his obituary noted. “David was greatly loved by so many, and his memory will continue to live on in the lives of others touched by his gift of life through organ donation.”
