The family of Bill Talavera honored his legacy during a recent gathering of friends, family, and admirers.
The 1st Annual Bill Raul Talavera Motorcycle & Car Show was held at the St. Theresa Parish Hall parking lot.
Talavera was an organ donor who saved three lives after losing his own in a tragic accident last Easter. Among those given a second chance thanks to Talavera is Victoria Yorcum, who had battled a rare liver disease for nearly 20 years, before becoming an organ recipient.
“My whole life, I was in and out of hospitals," Yocum said. "I saw so many doctors throughout the country, the disease is so rare.”
Then she learned she was getting a transplant. “I woke up in the ICU, and I honestly can say I’ve never felt better in my life,” Yocum said recalling her nine-hour surgery. “I feel like I won the lottery. I really do. I feel like I won the lottery. I’m so lucky. I’m so lucky that somebody was so fortunate to donate their body to me.”
Yocum’s sister is dating the brother of Bill Talavera. “He lives on, and this is something he wanted to do,” Deborah Talavera, Bill’s mother, told KOB 4. “It’s ironic how life works because this lovely young lady, her sister is part of our family.”
The City of Albuquerque proclaimed April as “Donate Life Month. According to New Mexico Donor Services, there are 600 New Mexicans waiting for transplants. Increasing that registry can help save lives.
Yocum is a living, breathing testimony to the value of organ donation. Now she has ties to the donor’s family in more ways than one.
“Bill had passed away right before I received my transplant,” Yocum said, per KOB 4. “Seeing his family go through this process and how they’ve handled it has just given me such a deeper appreciation for my transplant. I get to see the other side, and I hope that it’s helped them as well to see someone who almost didn’t make it but they received a transplant because a loved one donated their organs.”
Proceeds from registration fees went to New Mexico Donor Services, which serves two million people in the state and is “dedicated to saving and improving lives by connecting organ and tissue donations to the patients who need them.