Advocate Spotlight: Jeremy Mares

Donor Alliance volunteers and advocates are the heart and soul of our efforts to inspire and inform our community about the importance of signing up to be an organ, eye and tissue donor in Colorado and Wyoming. Each of our volunteers and advocates has their own unique and inspiring story to tell. In this advocate spotlight, meet Jeremy Mares, a liver transplant recipient from Aurora, CO.

Get to Know Jeremy Mares in this Month’s Advocate Spotlight:

What’s your favorite memory or event volunteering at Donor Alliance so far? So far my favorite event has been a virtual speaking event about my patient experience. It was pretty amazing to join a large group of people while still being safe at home. Hope to do more of those!

What is your proudest accomplishment? It’s a dated accomplishment, but I had fully recorded a little instrumental song to a 16-track digital recorder in my early 20s. It had bass, guitars, keys, and drums. I burned the 1:45 tune to a CD and listened to it in my car while I drove around town.

What is the last book you read or movie you saw? Would you recommend it? I caught bits and pieces of Netflix’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7” and goodness I was hooked. Definitely recommend seeing it.

If you could take an all-expenses paid vacation, where would you go? I would go to New Zealand and do the walk from The Shire to Mordor.

What are some of your favorite hobbies? My hobbies are the same now at 38 as they were when I was 11, video games and playing music (mostly guitar). I’m just better funded now.

What is your favorite season and why? I used to work in retail fashion and have always enjoyed the fall lines the best. #SweaterWeather

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? When struggling through insecurity and depression in graduate school my professor and I had a heart to heart and she looked me square in the eye and said, “Never judge your insides but other people’s outsides”. I have recited these words to myself many times over the years.

What has been your favorite hobby in quarantine? Or, have you learned something new? Cooking, hands down. It was always a favorite, but much more so now. I have leveled up my hummus, instant pot chicken, and overall knife skills. I have also leveled up my waist line.

If you’re interested in volunteering with us we’d love to have you join our Advocates for Life program! Get started.