Two Lives That never met
More tomorrows. Because of you.
Spencer and I never met. Yet one decision connected our lives forever. Because Spencer chose to become an organ donor, I got something I could never have given myself:
More Birthdays
More Time with loved ones
More Documentaries
More Tomorrows
the man behind the gift
Putting a Name to the Gift
After my transplant, I knew almost nothing about the person who had saved my life. I knew my donor was 34 years old, but I didn’t know his name. I didn’t know where he was from, what he loved, or who was grieving his loss.
I only knew that because of a decision he had made, I was still here.
Eventually, I reached out to OneLegacy, which helped me send a letter to my donor’s family while protecting their privacy. I still didn’t know his name or who would receive my words. I could only say what I had wanted to say for more than a year and hope it reached the family of the person who had given me a second chance.
And then, they chose to write back.
That was when the anonymous 34-year-old donor I had thought about for so long finally had a name.
Spencer.
Through OneLegacy, I was introduced to Spencer’s mom. What began as a letter between two people connected by an extraordinary gift became something much more personal. I began learning about the man behind the donation — the son she loved, the father and friend others missed, and the life Spencer had lived before our stories ever crossed.
For the first time, I could put a name, a face, and a life to the person whose decision had given me more of mine.
OneLegacy helps make connections like ours possible while supporting donor families and transplant recipients. Learn more about OneLegacy’s work →
one decision can save a life
Check the box.
Become a donor.
One decision can give someone else more tomorrows.
finding the words to say thank you
A Letter I Didn’t Know How to Write
For a long time, I wanted to write to Spencer’s family. I started the letter several times, but every version felt inadequate. What do you say to a family who lost someone they loved? How do you say thank you when their worst day gave you another chance at life?
I didn’t know, so I waited.
More than a year passed before I finally sent the letter. Then I learned his name: Spencer.
For the first time, my donor wasn’t simply an anonymous 34-year-old. He was a person — a father, a son, a friend — with a family who loved him, a big personality, passions, stories, and a life of his own.
Little by little, I began to learn about him. And the more I learned, the more I understood that Spencer’s story was never just about the organ he gave me. It was about the person he was — and the decision he made.
“I wanted to write to his family. I started the letter several times, but every version felt inadequate. What do you say to a family who lost someone they loved? How do you say thank you when their worst day gave you another chance at life?
So I waited. More than a year passed before I finally sent the letter. It was only then that I learned his name.”
– MARK CHERVINSKY
a choice made by a stranger
The Decision That Changed Everything
Spencer made the decision to become an organ donor before either of us knew what that decision would mean. That is what makes his story so powerful.
He didn’t know me. He didn’t know my name. He didn’t know that one day I would be waiting for a liver transplant. He simply made a choice to give others a chance at life.
When the time came, that choice became something extraordinary. It became my second chance. And Spencer’s gift became the reason Mark Here 4 Life exists.
the impact of one yes
One Donor. A Legacy of Hope.
Spencer may no longer be here, but his impact continues. His decision gave me more time, more memories, and more tomorrows. It also gave me a responsibility: to make sure more people understand what their own decision could mean.
More than 100,000 people are waiting for a lifesaving transplant in the United States. Behind every number is a person — a parent, a child, a spouse, a friend — someone waiting for the chance to keep living.
Spencer was one donor, but his decision continues to reach far beyond one person.
You have the power to be someone’s Spencer.
from gratitude to purpose
The Name That Became a Movement
Mark Here 4 Life was born from gratitude — gratitude for a stranger who made a decision that gave me a second chance, gratitude for Spencer. But gratitude alone isn’t enough.
We created Mark Here 4 Life to help more people understand organ donation, replace fear and misinformation with honest answers, and encourage people to make an informed decision about becoming a donor. Because most life-changing decisions don’t feel life-changing when we make them. Sometimes they happen in an ordinary moment — checking a box, renewing a license, or having a conversation with someone you love.
Spencer checked that box. His decision changed my life. Now, we’re working to help more people understand that their decision could change someone else’s. That is Spencer’s legacy, and that is why we keep telling his story.
your decision matters
You Can Be Someone’s Second Chance
You don’t have to know who you’ll help. You don’t have to know their name. You only have to decide whether you’re willing to give someone the possibility of more time, more memories, and more tomorrows.
Your decision could mean another birthday, another family dinner, another ordinary day with the people they love. You may never meet the person whose life you change, but your choice can become part of their story.
Check the box.
ONE DECISION.
A lifetime of
possibilities
your decision matters
You Can Be Someone’s Second Chance
You don’t have to know who you’ll help. You don’t have to know their name. You only have to decide whether you’re willing to give someone the possibility of more time, more memories, and more tomorrows.
Your decision could mean another birthday, another family dinner, another ordinary day with the people they love. You may never meet the person whose life you change, but your choice can become part of their story.
Check the box.
ONE decision.
A lifetime of
Possibilities
The Name That Became a Movement
Mark Here 4 Life was born from the belief that life-saving decisions happen in the most ordinary moments. We are here to make sure more people are ready for that moment — informed, unafraid, and willing to say yes.