TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Valentine\u2019s Day is widely known as a celebration of love, but it also marks National Donor Day, a time to honor organ donors and the lives they save.<\/p>\n
For one Tallahassee family, the day is deeply personal.<\/p>\n
They are sharing how a young woman\u2019s final decision transformed unimaginable heartbreak into hope and created a bond that will last a lifetime.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was shaking hands with death. I really did think that it was it,\u201d said organ transplant recipient Kris Vanni.<\/p>\n
Vanni said her health crisis began with what seemed like a routine case of the flu. While her husband recovered, her condition rapidly worsened.<\/p>\n
\u201cI ended up getting blood clots in my lungs, and I just went downhill from there; all of my organs started shutting down,\u201d Vanni said.<\/p>\n
Doctors quickly ran out of options. She was transferred from her local hospital to Orlando, and then to the Mayo Clinic, where she waited for what she describes as a miracle.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd it was right in time that I got that call,\u201d Vanni said. \u201cAnd Aimee saved my life. I mean, it was a miracle.\u201d<\/p>\n
That miracle came from Aimee Nicole Sachs.<\/p>\n
More Tallahassee news:<\/p>\n
In 2023, Sachs became critically ill after suffering two strokes, leaving her in a rare condition known as locked-in syndrome, meaning she could no longer move or speak but remained fully conscious.<\/p>\n
Her father, Ron Sachs, says Aimee had been registered as an organ donor for years. But after her stroke, she reaffirmed that choice.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you want to, when you leave this world, help other people live?\u201d Ron Sachs recalled asking his daughter. \u201cAnd she shut her eyes again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Aimee\u2019s organs saved three lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer two kidneys were transplanted into two young men in their 20s who are alive today because of Aimee,\u201d Sachs said. \u201cAnd then the liver was a match for Kris.\u201d<\/p>\n
What followed was something neither family expected.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe became family, like, pretty quickly,\u201d Vanni said. \u201cYou go in so nervous, wondering what they\u2019re going to think of you. But our families just clicked. There was no weirdness between us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now recovering, Vanni said she\u2019s focused on the moments she nearly lost forever.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the ultimate gift, being able to watch my boys eventually get married and graduate high school and all the fun things that I would have missed out on,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
On National Donor Day, Sachs said his daughter\u2019s legacy is a powerful reminder of the impact one person can have.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne person can save many lives and enhance them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
According to Donate Life Florida, more than 5,000 people across the state are waiting each day for a life-saving transplant.<\/p>\n
You can register to be an organ donor in just minutes, on their website<\/a>, at your local tax collector\u2019s office, or when renewing a hunting or fishing license.<\/p>\n To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, Nextdoor<\/a> <\/a>and X<\/a> (Twitter<\/a>).<\/p>\n Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here<\/a>. Please include the article\u2019s headline in your message.<\/p>\n Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here<\/a> to get started.<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 WCTV. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n