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Hello and welcome to your regular sneak peek into the pages of MÁS magazine.

The gift of life

In a split second, on a downtown street in Bakersfield, life was forever changed for one local family.
One man’s life ended. His family’s grief began.
Then, four separate miracles took place.
After Carlos Ortiz Jr. was declared brain dead following a tragic car accident in May 2006, his family agreed to donate his heart, kidneys, and liver.
That fateful decision — made without hesitation because of their son/brother’s generous spirit in life, according to Carlos’ family — would go on to give life to three people on transplant waiting lists.
For that, his family is both proud and comforted.
Carlos’ mother, Irma Boyar, wrote to MÁS, requesting to share her thoughts on recently meeting one of the organ recipients — a man who received her son’s heart — with our readers. Turns out Boyar is perhaps one of our publication’s most faithful followers, using MÁS to plan family entertainment outings, to keep up on local community news and even to sign up some young relatives for our upcoming quiceañera event.
I contacted Irma, letting her know that we would like to take her request a step further — that we wanted to tell her family’s story in the pages of our magazine as a way to inform the Hispanic community about organ donation. She and her daughters graciously agreed. (See their story by MÁS staff writer Lauren Helper on pgs. 6-9.)
April has been designated National Donate Life Month to help raise public awareness of the critical need for organ, tissue, marrow and blood donation.
Officials report than more than half the people on the waiting list for a donated organ are racial or ethnic minorities. And minorities are three times less likely than caucasians to sign up as donors with the Donate Life California Registry.
MÁS, along with the family of Carlos Ortiz Jr., encourages you to consider this life-changing option.

¡Viva Carlos!

In the dark tragedy from losing their loved one in a drunken driving accident, the family of Carlos Ortiz Jr. finds a ray of light by donating his organs.

Cositas we love

In the mood for an artistic adventure? Just a short drive away is a treasure trove of art exhibits, including a major showing of Chicano art currently on display, an upcoming art collection on loan from Cheech Marin, and the recent acquisition of a video project by a famed Latin American artist — all at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).

Hurtful hubby

Ay Mujer offers advice on how to combat words as weapons