On Christmas Eve, Vivian and Richard Schmidt, (lovingly known to all as Schmidty) arrived in San Diego to support their son Gavin through his terminal cancer diagnosis.

Shortly after, on January 26th, Schmidty suffered his second stroke and was immediately transported to Sharp Grossmont Hospital where he continued to have seizure after seizure. This was a turn of events no one could have predicted.

Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that Schmidty was not making it out of this hospital. Because of his dedication to saving lives, Schmidty was a registered organ donor. His family and care team helped him hold on as long as possible to ensure he was able to continue this mission and save as many lives as he could.

On February 1st, with the support of Life Share, and the staff at Sharp Grossmont Hospital, Schmidty was given a truly beautiful send-off. He was surrounded by family, friends, and even hospital employees wanting to pay tribute. We said our last goodbyes as Vivian and their daughter Dana held his hands with Stairway to Heaven playing in the background.

Schmidty was a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend. A dedicated Marine, he was loyal to his country and brothers. His legacy will live on and he has already helped save the life of a 30 year-old woman through the donation of his liver.

Soon, Vivian will have to return home to Kansas without her husband and pack up the life they once shared so she can move back to California and be with her family during this time. Please consider giving any amount you can spare to support this family in honoring Schmidty and helping Vivian get back on her feet despite this horrific tragedy.

If you would like to help immediately, her Venmo account is @Vivian-Schmidt-3