Ednan Ortiz

My name is Victoria, and my sister’s name is Alex. Our dad, the donor, is Ednan. Our dad was always giving all of himself in everything he did in life, so even though I did not know about his donation decision until after his passing, it was not surprising at all. I believe the main reason our dad elected to be a donor is because we have family members who have experienced vision loss. My sister has a scratch on her cornea that has caused significant loss where she has only about 30% vision remaining. We also have a cousin who lost all eyesight by the time she turned 5-years old, but thankfully she is thriving and has a family of her own (and even flew an airplane once!).

Our dad was the most amazing, selfless, hilarious, fun-loving, hard-working, and dedicated person I have ever had the privilege of knowing. He has so much love in his heart for all living things and showed that to everyone he met. He would give you the shirt on his back, shoes on his feet, and pants, too (as long as it was not cold). He persevered through so many tribulations in his life and never gave up. He dedicated his life to serving others.

If you asked what our dad did for work, it is like what did not he do. He was a D.J., security guard, plumber, woodworker, apartment building manager/maintenance, a truck driver for airing and cooling supplies, and his last occupation was driving a bus for a senior care center to pick up/drop off the seniors and take them on field trips. But, he was also so much more. He was a musician, a father, son, brother, cousin, and friend. A comedian and a cook! Our dad was such a great cook that I would ask him all the time how to cook this or that. His favorite cooking medium was B.B.Q. He was the best at that.

Our dad also loved taking pictures. He has so many cameras and memory cards packed with pictures of anything and everything. He loved getting those candid shots of people, laughing, and enjoying life. He also loved taking pictures of things that would remind you of the beauty of this world. That, despite all the pain and ugliness the world can throw at you, there is equal, if not more beauty, if you are open to it.

Our dad loved watching what I consider, older shows like M.A.S.H., Gilligan’s Island, and Happy Days. He also really loved action movies, one of his favorites was A Knight’s Tale. When I was younger, I was obsessed with The Lion King, that I made my dad watch it with me probably a hundred times, or so he told me. He also loved sports and watching the Green Bay Packers.

During my dad’s last day, I remember he looked out of the window a lot. Whenever I asked him if he was ok, he said, “yeah, I’m just taking a look.” I think, even in the last hours, he was still trying to take in the beauty that was being offered to him. And that is why my sister and I are so very proud of our dad and thankful that he chose to give that gift of seeing the world’s beauty to other people.

My sister and I wish you all the blessings and beauty that this world has to offer.

~Victoria, Alex & Ednan