One father signs up to donate organs before passing, saving another father's life

KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) — Sometimes life's greatest gifts come from where we least expect them to. For a grandfather in need of a kidney, a Kenosha father's organ donation following his sudden death turned one family's grief into another's hope.

Kristina Vazquez said her ex-husband, Wilbert Toto, died after being struck while walking to work on June 10.

According to a crash report from the Kenosha Police Department that Vazquez shared with CBS 58, heavy rain, strong winds and low visibility contributed to the driver of a vehicle not seeing Toto as he crossed the intersection of 39th Avenue and 45th Street in Kenosha.

Vazquez said Toto remained in a coma for more than two and a half weeks. Because of his severe injuries, his family knew his life would never be the same. The father of two daughters, ages 9 and 17, had spent years working multiple jobs to support his family.

“This is the man who worked three jobs or two jobs for 26 years. We had to realize, Wilbert wouldn’t want to live that way,” Vazquez said.

Vazquez said Toto had told her before the crash that he wanted to be an organ donor.

“We had this conversation,” Vazquez said. “He said, ‘When I go, what am I going to use it for?’ He goes, ‘Give it to somebody better. Give them, save them.’”

That's when one family's grief turned into another family's hope.

Evelyn Danecki's father, Steve McNeill, had been waiting for a kidney transplant for more than two years. Vazquez knew Danecki through her photography studio. Danecki said she had been following Vazquez's situation when Vazquez contacted her.

“She reached out to me and said, ‘Wilbert is not going to make it through this. He’s going to pass away either way,’” Danecki said. “And then, I was hit with, ‘Well, we want to give your dad the kidney.’”

From that point on, Danecki and Vazquez said their families became connected both physically and emotionally.

“We were with him the day before he passed, and we were praying with him and praying over him and just being with the family,” said Serena McNeill, Steve McNeill's granddaughter. “That's an incredible, very unique experience that doesn't happen for most people who receive organ donations.”

Through Toto's organ donation, Vazquez said he saved six lives. She said her family has found comfort in knowing his legacy lives on through others.

“Wilbert Toto is a hero and he matters,” Vazquez said. “We always called him Super Papi, and now he is.”

Toto's gift of life has already made an impact on people who have heard his story in Kenosha.

On Aug. 21, Rumor's Lounge in Kenosha will host a benefit for Toto's daughters as they continue to grieve. Micklyn Kent with Rumor's Lounge told CBS 58 the business wanted to hold the event because its owner is also an organ recipient.

“He would not be with us today if somebody didn’t donate their organ,” Kent said. “We take these for granted. Life is not promised to any of us.”

A fundraiser to support Toto's family is available here.

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