Reno, Nevada resident Lauren Martelle (pictured above with Dr. John Rabkin and Dr. Todd Frederick) was a college junior when she received a life-saving liver transplant at Sutter Health’s California Pacific Medical Center. Now an organ donor advocate, she is raising awareness about organ donation at the 2026 Rose Parade in Pasadena.
At just 19 years old, Lauren Martelle received a precious gift – a donated liver at San Francisco’s California Pacific Medical Center. The organ transplant not only allowed her to recover from a rare and potentially fatal blood disorder, but it completely changed the direction of her life.
Martelle is pictured, right, with Dr. John Rabkin.
“The liver transplant surgery restored my health at a time when I didn’t have any options and it gave me the ability to plan for a future I wouldn’t have had otherwise,” Martelle recalls. “The experience humbled me, gave me a deeper appreciation for everyday moments and reshaped how I view and handle life.”
Following her successful surgery and return home to Reno, Martelle realized there wasn’t a support group or other organ recipients she could connect with to share her experience. After meeting another transplant recipient in her hometown, Martelle said that it became clear that sharing her story could help educate others, honor her donor and encourage more people to register as organ donors. Today, she is an organ donor advocate and a board member at Sierra Nevada Donor Awareness. She is also one of three organ recipients selected by Donor Network West as a 2026 Rose Parade honoree. Martelle and her fellow honorees will ride the Donate Life float in the 137th annual Rose Parade in Pasadena on Jan. 1. The float is themed “Treasure Every Moment Together” and will also honor four organ donors with memorial portraits made of flowers and other organic material.
Members of Martelle’s care team are pictured with Dr. Janice Whaley (third from left), President and CEO of Donor Network West.
To celebrate Martelle, Donor Network West and Sutter Health held a special Rose parade “send off” ceremony on Dec. 12 at CPMC’s Van Ness campus. Donor Network West President and CEO Dr. Janice Whaley was on hand to congratulate Martelle, who as a Donor Network West Ambassador in Northern Nevada, shares her story to inspire others to consider organ donation. So far this year, Donor Network West has helped 311 Nevada residents receive an organ, eye or tissue transplant with roughly a quarter of those surgeries taking place in California, just like Martelle’s.
“Lauren’s journey reflects the deep connection between our states and our shared responsibility to support those who still are waiting (for transplants),” Whaley said.
Members of Martelle’s care team were also there to congratulate her and see her off to the parade, including liver transplant surgeons Dr. John Rabkin and Dr. Robert Osorio, and Dr. Todd Frederick, hepatologist and Transplant Director of CPMC’s Transplant Hepatology fellowship program. Dr. Frederick met Martelle more than 18 years ago at CPMC’s Pacific campus and has helped guide her treatment. He praised Martelle’s determination and strength even through a decade of post-transplant complications.
Photos from Martelle’s transplant journey are surrounded by red roses.
“I was quite impressed with the way Lauren, despite all of these setbacks, was able to weather these storms, calm and collected, never asking ‘Why me’ or “What was happening here?” – just meeting the next challenge and seeming impervious to all of these complications and setbacks,” Dr. Frederick said. “She always maintained a positive attitude.”
Before accepting a symbolic bouquet of red roses, Martelle reflected on her transplant journey and expressed her gratitude to the person who gave her the gift of life.
“It’s humbling to realize that half of my life wouldn’t have existed without my donor,” Martelle said. “The Rose Parade celebrates stories of hope, courage and generosity and that’s exactly what organ donation represents. Being here today reminds me of how precious life is and how deeply connected we all are through the gift of donation.”
Click here to learn more about transplant services at Sutter Health.
Martelle is pictured with her husband, Cody Martelle, at the California Pacific Medical Center’s Van Ness campus.