By Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Staff writer
Ten years ago, Marcos Martinez came home for lunch just like any other day. His mother called him into the room and broke down when she told him her kidneys were failing and she needed to start dialysis.
“My first question was ‘What do we need to do?’said Marcos, who was still in high school at the time.
Fast forward ten years later, and February 11, 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the day Elvia Martinez, 60, received the “gift of life” from her son Marcos, now 28.
It was a full circle moment because her son to whom she gave life, was saving her own. Marcos was still in high school at the time.
“He’s my hero,” Elvia said. “He was young when he gave that kidney and to see him as a man now…the love he gave me is something I could never let him know how much I appreciate it.”
Elvia said when she was first told about her kidney failure she was horrified. At her wits end with dialysis, Elvia was suffering so much she was losing the will to live.
Her children immediately got tested to see if they were a match for their mother rather than wait on the transplant list, as it can take an average of three to five years to find a donor. Three of her children were a match but it was Marcos who had the procedure.
At the time, Marcos’ brother just had his first son and his sister was new mom.
“I didn’t want anything to happen to them and leave their kids behind,” Marcos said.
Marcos said the process leading up to the procedure was “overwhelming.” His mother was on dialysis for over a year. And the family would set up her machine every night before bed and accompany Elvia to every appointment.
However, regardless of how tedious the process was, with his family supporting them, Marcos was steadfast in his decision to go through with the donation.
“I was more scared of losing my mom than scared of something going wrong with the surgery with me,” he said.
Mrs. Martinez had lost her eyesight in the months leading up to the operation. When Marcos woke up in recovery after a successful operation, his mother exclaimed that her vision had returned.
“As soon as woke that’s all I heard was ‘Marcos I can see you! I can see you!’”
It only lasted one day, but to be able to see her entire family for that one day holds a special memory in their hearts.
