Click here for updates on this story KENOSHA, Wisconsin (WDJT) -- Sometimes life’s greatest gifts come from where we least expect them to. For a grandfather in need of a kidney, a Kenosha father’s organ donation following his sudden death turned grief into hope.Kristina Vazquez says her ex-husband, Wilbert Toto, died suddenly while walking to work on June 10. According to a copy of a crash report she shared with CBS 58 from the Kenosha Police Department, heavy winds, severe winds and low visibility caused a driver of a vehicle to not see Toto as he crossed the intersection of 39th and 45th in Kenosha.Vazquez said Toto was in a coma for over two-and-a-half weeks. Due to his severe injuries, his family knew this would forever change the life of the working father of two daughters, ages 9 and 17.“This is the man who worked three jobs or two jobs for 26 years. We had to realize, Wilbert wouldn’t want to live that way,” Vazquez said.Vazquez said even before the crash, Toto told her that he wanted to be an organ donor.“We had this conversation,” Vazquez said. “He said, ‘When I go, what am I going to use it for?’ He goes, ‘Give it to somebody better. Give them, save them.’”That’s when one family’s grief turned into another’s hope for life.Evelyn Danecki’s father, Steve McNeill, was in need of a kidney for over two years. Vazquez knew Denecki through her photography studio. Denecki said she had been watching Vazquez’s situation unfold when Vazquez contacted her.“She reached out to me and said, ‘Wilbert is not going to make it through this, he’s going to pass away either way,’” Denecki said. “And then, I was hit with, ‘Well, we want to give your dad the kidney.’”From that point on, Denecki and Vazquez say their families were connected both physically and emotionally.“We were with him the day before he passed, and we were praying with him and praying over him and just being with the family,” said Serena McNeill, Steve McNeill’s granddaughter. “That's an incredible, very unique experience that doesn’t happen for most people that receive organ donations.”Through Toto’s organ donation, Vazquez says Toto saved a total of six lives. Vazquez’s family found comfort in knowing that Toto’s legacy lives on through others.“Wilbert Toto is a hero and he matters,” Vazquez said. “We always called him Super Papi, and now he is.”Toto’s gift of life has already made an impact for people who have heard his story in Kenosha. On Aug. 21, Rumor’s Lounge in Kenosha is holding a benefit for Toto’s daughters as they grieve. Micklyn Kent with Rumor’s Lounge told CBS 58 they were interested in holding the event because the owner is also a donor recipient.“He would not be with us today if somebody didn’t donate their organ,” Kent said. ““We take these for granted. Life is not promised to any of us.”A fundraiser to support Toto’s family is available. Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
