A family’s loss becomes lasting legacy through organ donation

Local man Juan Jesus Vecino, known to many as “Susi”, not only made history last Friday but changed the lives of others when his organs were donated in the first procedure of its kind on the Rock.

Mr Vecino, 48, donated all his organs, his sister Maria Vecino Ramos told the Chronicle.

The family, dealing with the sudden passing of their loved one, decided to turn their painful loss into a message of hope and generosity, donating his organs to save multiple lives.

They are now encouraging open conversations about organ donation in Gibraltar.

The Vecino family has faced a series of tragedies over the years.

Mrs Vecino Ramos recalled how their father died in 2005 from a cardiac condition, and their mother succumbed to a similar illness in 2020.

Just six months ago, another brother, Joseph, suffered a cardiac arrest but has made a recovery.

When tragedy struck the family again and doctors confirmed that Mr Vecino was not going to recover, they were approached about organ donation.

“It was a shock,” Mrs Vecino Ramos said.

“But if something good could come from this sudden loss, if others could be helped, then that would bring us some comfort.”

The family were unanimous in their decision to donate Mr Vecino’s organs and this was later ratified by Mr Vecino’s own ERS colleagues on the back of previous conversations with him at work.

Mr Vecino colleagues told the the family that once at a meeting one morning, they had discussed what they would like to happen should something happen to them.

“And he was a really strong advocate for donation, saying out loud that if anything ever happened to him, he'd be more than happy for his organs to be donated,” she said.

“We ended up having that rubber stamp. And that made us feel a lot better, because they obviously confirmed that he said that he wanted his organs to be donated.”

Mr Vecino was known for many years as a brilliant mechanic with a passion for luxury cars, with car enthusiasts travelling from miles away to bring their vehicles to him.

“He was a mechanic all his life, known not just locally, but by people who brought him luxury cars for his unique skill,” Mrs Vecino Ramos.

A career change later in life led him to becoming a nursing assistant, a role he took to and a role in which he made a multitude of friends, as was evident with the turnout of colleagues to the morgue on Saturday morning, his sister noted.

Some of those colleagues, together with family, friends and members of the GHA medical team, took part in a Walk of Honour for Mr Vecino as they lined the corridor of St Bernard’s Hospital on both sides as he was taken from the ICU ward to the lift where he would go into theatre for the organ recovery.

While the family are going through a “roller coaster week of emotions”, she noted that the community spirit and the support they have received has been overwhelming.

“A number of people have come to hospital to pay their respects and be with us.”

“They brought us food. They brought us cakes. They stood there with us for hours. It's been incredible.”

Now, as they grieve, the family is finding comfort in the knowledge that their decision may have helped save others, and hopes that Mr Vecino’s story will inspire more people to discuss their wishes about donation with loved ones.

“We want people to think about what they would do, to make their wishes known, so no other family is left unsure,” Mrs Vecino Ramos.

Mrs Vecino Ramos added that for Noah, Mr Vecino’s 11-year old son, her brother “has left a beautiful legacy for him.”

She said the family would also like to “thank the community at large for their support, and in particular, friends, family, neighbours, work colleagues, and La Vasca Del Toldo [a core group of friends]. The ambulance crew, staff in A&E, in the ICU, and other GHA staff members including Minister for Health, Gemma Arias-Vasquez, all of whom worked extremely hard to make this happen.”

Adding that the family were also very grateful for the professionalism and ethics of the NHS staff on the ground who held the the family’s hand throughout.

Given the family’s history, donations to the Gibraltar Cardiac Association have been suggested in memory of Mr Vecino.

A person who knows only too well the positive impact an organ donation can make is the President of Kidney Care Gibraltar, Sunil Chandiramani, who received a donated kidney in 2008.

On the first donation of its kind on the Rock, Mr Chandiramani said: “This is truly a landmark and historic moment for Gibraltar.”

“Behind this medical milestone is an extraordinary act of generosity by a family who, in the midst of profound loss, chose to give others the gift of life.”

“As President of Kidney Care Gibraltar, and as someone who has personally benefited from organ donation, I am deeply grateful and profoundly moved.”

“I would like to pay heartfelt thanks to the donor’s family for their courage, compassion and selflessness. Their decision will have a lasting impact, not only on the recipient and their loved ones, but on our entire community.”

“I hope this moment encourages more people to have conversations about organ donation and to consider registering as donors.”

He also commended the Gibraltar Health Authority and all the medical professionals involved, stating that this achievement reflects years of dedication, preparation and teamwork, and demonstrates what is possible when commitment and expertise come together.

“It marks the beginning of a new chapter for healthcare in Gibraltar and sends a powerful message about the life-saving importance of organ donation,” he said.

On Tuesday morning, the Minister for Health, Care and Business, Gemma Arias-Vasquez, confirmed that the first organ donation procedure in Gibraltar had been successfully carried out at the GHA.

In a statement from the Government it said that the GHA wished to express its profound gratitude to Mr Vecino and to his family for their “incredibly generous and courageous decision to donate his organs. In the midst of their own loss, their selfless act will now go on to save and transform lives.”

The procedure was delivered through close collaboration between the GHA and a specialist transplant team that flew in from the United Kingdom to support local clinicians and staff.

This donation forms part of a formal pathway established between the GHA and NHS Blood and Transplant under Gibraltar’s reciprocal healthcare arrangements, which also ensure that Gibraltarians remain entitled to organ transplantation services within the NHS.

On Friday evening Mr Vecino’s organs were successfully retrieved at St Bernard’s Hospital and blue lighted to the airport before being flown to the UK for transplantation.

As a result of this successful procedure, the GHA is now putting everything in place to be able to carry out such donations in the future.

“Organ donation saves lives. A single donor can save and transform up to nine lives, and registering takes just two minutes,” said the Government statement.

“Members of the public are encouraged to record their decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register and, just as importantly, to discuss their wishes with their families.”

For her part Arias-Vasquez, said: “This was a historic moment for the GHA and for Gibraltar, and I want to place on record my sincere thanks to every member of the brilliant GHA team involved in this donation.”

“I have spoken personally to Susi’s family, and I want to extend once again my deepest condolences to them. In the midst of unimaginable loss, they made a decision of profound generosity that will now go on to save and transform lives.”

“As a lasting mark of respect, the GHA will, in the coming weeks, install a plaque in Susi’s memory so that this first donation may always be remembered.”

Registration is available online: https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/register-your-decision/