Aris & Dom

For Aris, a longtime DMV employee, asking people if they want to register as donors is part of his everyday work. But one day, a man walked up to him with a red rose and changed everything. The man told Aris that years ago, he was on a transplant waitlist and that because Aris asked someone to check the box, he got the kidney he needed to survive. That gift meant he’d be spending Christmas with his granddaughter.

That moment stuck with Aris. It reminded him that what might feel like a small interaction could actually mean the world to someone else.

“Not just because of the job I do, but as a human, that moment motivated me to be better, to be kinder, and to think about others,” said Aris. ” I can have the greatest gift, even though I don’t have all the riches I want, but I have time with my son and things I love within my reach.”

Aris and his son Dominic are both registered donors. They’ve talked about what it means to give someone more time with family, time to heal, time to live.

“When my son got his permit, beforehand we talked about it and I explained to him how important it is to be an organ donor,” said Aris.

That conversation left an impact, and Dominic took it to heart.

“To a person that might need a transplant, it’s everything, it’s whether you get to continue living and having experiences, to have time with loved ones and that’s really powerful,” said Dominic.

Stories like Aris’s are a reminder that donation is about more than checking a box, it’s about creating memories with loved ones that last a lifetime.