Class of 1983 Models Lifelong Monarch Bond

“Once a Monarch, always a Monarch” is a phrase that all members of the Mater Dei family know well. The bond that alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends of Mater Dei share across the decades is often hard to describe. The lessons of “service to others” woven throughout the Mater Dei experience remains etched in the hearts of Monarchs everywhere and endures well beyond graduation.

Most recently, members of the Class of 1983 rallied in support of one of their classmates, Finbar O’Donoghue. Finbar’s son, Sean, had a heart transplant at a young age that lasted until his early 20's. Although the family was lucky to find a second match, Sean spent a year in ICU and went into kidney failure. Dialysis did not improve his condition and doctors at UCLA described his odds of a kidney match as one in 3.5 million.

Enter fellow ’83 classmate, Sandy Gordon Barker, founder of The Gold Rush Cure Foundation which offers support to families with gravely ill children. After tragically losing her son, Christian, to leukemia Sandy and her family were inspired to create a foundation to bring hope and encouragement to children and their families as they fight cancer.

“They say our true colors are revealed when we face adversity. Christian (pictured left) showed us his true colors through his incredible courage, determination, respect, compassion for others, and faithfulness in God. His quiet and sweet nature spoke volumes. I hope he can see how his life and legacy have impacted so many people. He is the driving force behind so much of what we do,” said Sandy.

During the pandemic, normal methods of donor screenings were compromised which further complicated Sean’s odds of finding a match. To sustain the screening process, Sandy hosted a remote “be the match” drive in her own home (pictured below left) This was something that had never been done before and many Mater Dei alumni showed up to be screened. A family friend and close friend of Christian's wanted to get screened, but was younger than UCLA likes to use. However, she insisted and was the one in 3.5 million match for Sean!

The Class of '83 alumni rallied again thanks to the heavy lifting of classmates Mike Olson, Sandy Dust Otis, Christine Merrill Monge, Kelli Seely Green, Steve and Annamarie Vandewalle, and the Gold Rush Cure Foundation! This time it was to raise funds to support Sean's donor for missed work and other expenses.

The story is nothing short of miraculous and truly demonstrates the lifelong bond we have as Monarchs across the generations. “Sean’s an amazing young man – always reaching out to help others,” said Steve Vandewalle. “Our class has always been there to support each other, and we needed their help, now more than ever for one of our kids.” Thank you to all the incredible members of the Class of 1983 who came together to support the child of a Monarch.