Hilmar family honored daughter with their 10th donor walk, celebrated lives she saved

The custom bright pink shirts worn by Daneen Barker, her family and friends have become an annual tradition.

The bright colors made the Barker group easy to spot at the recent Annual Donor Network West Foundation Run/Walk . Pink was also the favorite color of Barker’s daughter, Karly, who died in August of 2013 after suffering a brain aneurysm at the age of 19.

Participating in the annual 5K event has become a way for the Hilmar family to honor and remember Karly.

The recent donor walk at Bishop Ranch in San Ramon marks the 10th time the Barkers have participated in what they refer to as the ‘Karly Walk.’ Not only to they honor Karly, but they also celebrate the lives she impacted with the donation of her organs that helped prolong and save the lives of others.

“For us, it’s just a day to remember her and to celebrate the gifts that she gave,” said Daneen Barker.

Daneen Barker, her husband Jeff and son Blake were part of a group of about 20 friends and family at the event.

Daneen, 56, said it’s an emotionally-charged day every year. She says it’s a unique experience because she meets other families who are going through the same journey as the Barkers.

“Every single time we meet people that we’ve never met before who have similar stories,” Barker said. “Maybe they’re earlier in their journey than we are, or they’re farther along.”

“At the beginning, for us people who were further along helped us through those hard days,” Barker added. “They just give you advice and tell you never forget that things just change. At the same time we’re really just thinking about Karly.”

Barker describes her Karly as someone full of enthusiasm. She was an out-going person. She was a Hilmar High cheerleader and her senior year she served as the homecoming commissioner.

“There wasn’t anybody who didn’t know her,” Barker said. “When she walked into a room, you knew it. She was just always smiling, always happy.”

After high school, Karly attended UC Merced and originally wanted to become a pediatrician. However, she switched to study education. She was going to follow her mother’s path as a teacher.

Daneen Barker has been a teacher in Turlock for 32 years. Thirty-one of those years as a kindergarten teacher.

“That’s so funny, because I knew she would be a teacher all her life,” Barker said.

Karly suffered her brain aneurysm just before the start of her sophomore year at UC Merced.

Karly was a registered organ donor. Her mom remembers Karly coming home excited to announce that fact when she received her driver’s permit when she was 15 years old. Barker remembers her daughter being so proud.

“Never in my wildest dreams, thinking four short years later we’d be living it,” Barker said.

In the hospital, when doctors told the Barker family Karly wouldn’t recover they knew she would want to save others.

Donor Network West helped facilitate the donation of her major organs including her heart, kidneys, pancreas and liver, which went to three recipients on the national transplant waiting list.

Karly’s donations saved lives.

Daneen Barker said she’s met or made contact with some of the recipients, including Jeff Jackson, who lives in Northern California. Jackson received Karly’s pancreas and kidney. Another recipient was a father from Singapore visiting his daughter who was attending college in the United States. He received Karly’s liver.

“It has meant the world to us just to see how dramatically their lives have changed,” Barker said. “Their lives are so different than yours and mine. They aren’t healthy, they’re struggling to survive every day.”

Barker said after Jackson received his transplants his diabetes disappeared. He’s now able to do things he wasn’t able to do before. He even joined the Barkers for one of the 5K events.

According to Donor Network West, there are more than 10,000 people in their service area, which includes northern California and northern Nevada, who are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.

In 2023, Donor Network West facilitated the transplantation of 1,358 organs for recipients in northern California and northern Nevada.

“Until you live it, you don’t really know what it’s like,” Barker said. “You know, it has been huge for us to know all these people who their lives have been extended... Because Karly was young, so many of her friends were affected by this. Many, many people have registered to be organ donors because of Karly and because of her story.”