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Family, friends of RRHS student killed by drunk driver honor National Donate Life Month
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RIO RANCHO — The parents of a Rio Rancho High School student and athlete who was killed last year by a drunk driver want teens to know that when they get their driver’s license, they could also save lives by being an organ donor.
Jason Padilla Sr. and Teresa Padilla were on hand at RRHS Friday during the lunch period to raise awareness of the issue in honor of their son, Jason Padilla Jr., as part of National Donate Life Month. The couple handed out “Jason’s Legacy” bracelets, ChapStick, hand sanitizer and small bird whistles, owing to the month’s theme, “Let Life Sing.” Students could win prizes, including a T-shirt, if they correctly guessed one of the frequently asked questions about organ donations displayed on a spinning wheel with Jason’s face on it.
In an interview, Teresa Padilla said she heard from students Friday that Jason’s story inspired them to become an organ donor.
“(I’m) very proud of my son that he can be a role model for other kids,” said Teresa, choking up with emotion.
Padilla Sr. called his son “a hero” for saving three lives, including a 17-year-old girl, with his kidneys and liver.
“We’ve got to be there for each other,” he said.
The couple’s presence at their late son’s high school — where he was set to graduate this year — comes as, in 2024, New Mexico saved 207 lives through organ donations, the second-highest number recorded, according to information provided by New Mexico Donor Services (Donate Life New Mexico). Fifty-six percent of New Mexicans are registered organ donors, an increase from 53% in 2023, the group said.
Although 130 lives are saved every day in the U.S. because of donors, more than 100,000 people in the U.S., including 400 New Mexicans, are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant, according to Donate Life New Mexico. That figure is enough to pack The Pit at the University of New Mexico more than six times, the group said.
Celina Espinoza, external affairs and business development director for Life New Mexico, who joined the Padillas at RRHS on Friday, said she believes the number of organ donations is as high as they’ve been because of “stories like Jason.”
“They see Jason’s face, his amazing miracle; they connect with him and want to be giving as well,” Espinoza said.
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The number of people waiting for a transplant could mean the difference between life and death, she said. With donation numbers increasing, the waitlist has gone down, Espinoza said, but Donate Life New Mexico’s work is not yet complete.
“Our work won’t be done until it’s eliminated,” Espinoza said. “We don’t want anyone to ever have to wait.”
She said it’s her job to partner with a “hero’s” family to educate the public about becoming an organ donor
“We’re able extend their legacy,” Espinoza said, noting the number of lives saved by Jason. “You look at the ripple effect in this community and forever, Jason’s going to have a heartbeat there because his parents are standing up for his beliefs and showing what a hero he is.”
A framed picture of a smiling Jason Padilla Jr. in the snow and his letterman jacket were a few mementos from the young man’s life on display Friday at the booth his parents oversaw.
The setting was enough to have the senior Padilla call Friday a day filled with “mixed emotions” while experiencing “a huge sense of pride just seeing the reaction from the crowd.”
“When he passed, he left a lot of energy out there and you can see that today,” Padilla Sr. said, referring to his son, “and energy in us to build his legacy and honor him in every way we can.”
Espinoza encouraged residents to became an organ, eye and tissue donor at registerme.org.
