About Us
What is the LIVE LIKE JACK FOUNDATION?
The Live Like Jack mission is to "Encourage as many people as possible to become Registered Organ Donors and help save lives". Our son Jack made a lot of friends and helped a lot of people during his brief life and Five more lives after his passing. Organ donation is paramount today. The miracle of science and the master skills of physicians around the world are routinely working to save lives with donated organs and tissue. These procedures were non-existent a few decades ago. In 2024 these critical procedures occur daily. There are currently 103,000 in the United States waiting for an organ. Roughly 20 people die in this country because there aren't enough organ donors. The Live Like Jack Foundation's goal is to dramatically reduce these numbers over the next decade. Are you an organ donor? Donate Life, become an organ donor. It makes all the difference in the world. Live Life, Love Life, Give Life...
LIVE LIKE JACK ACCOMPLISHMENTS
LIVE LIKE JACK GOLF TOURNAMENT HISTORY AND ONELEGACY
On September 9, 2019, The Inaugural Live Like Jack Golf Tournament took place and was a huge success raising money for OneLegacy. OneLegacy is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving lives through organ, eye, and tissue donation in the seven-county greater Los Angeles area. With more than 215 hospitals, 11 transplant centers, and a diverse population of nearly 20 million, OneLegacy is the largest organ, eye, and tissue recovery organization in the world.
To date, Jack has saved 5 lives with his organ and tissue donations. Our goal is to save many more lives with organ donor awareness through OneLegacy.
LIVE LIKE JACK BENCH DEDICATION
On February 1, 2019, this day marking the 1-year anniversary of Jack's passing, Murphy Ranch Elementary School unveiled two "Live Like Jack" Benches right outside Jack's 4th Grade Classroom. Jack's 4th Grade Teacher Debbie Dominguez was instrumental in making these beautiful monuments to Jack's Legacy possible. These benches will serve the students at Murphy Ranch for many years to come. The Salas Family was overwhelmed by this tremendous gift and are extremely grateful.
PAVEWEST MANGAN FAMILY FOUNDATION
On December 28, 2020, The Pavewest Mangan Family Foundation, led by Don and Dick Mangan, made a $5,000.00 endowment to the Live Like Jack Foundation. We are grateful and will continue to do good work...God's work.
Meet Jack
At the beginning
His personality
Jack's Hobbies
4th Grade - Murphy Ranch Elementary
Jack's Thirst for Life
All Leaders are Readers
His love for Football
His taste in Music
A Special Human Being
Angel on Earth
God's Purpose for Jack
Jack's Last Moments
Saying Our Goodbyes
Jack Salas was born on September 11, 2007, to Fred and Jessica Salas. Jack passed away on February 3, 2018, at the age of 10. He was a young boy who was selfless, athletic, smart, loving, and caring.
Jack was raised in earnest, with love, appreciation, gratitude, empathy, kindness, humor and a respect for others that was unmatched by anyone you have ever met. When you met Jack from just over the age of 4, he would look you in the eye, shake your hand and smile. That was simplicity at its best and that was Jack. Human contact, confidence and warmth for anyone who crossed his path. He made us proud.
Jack loved playing football, reading, skate boarding, video games, swimming, going to school, slot car racing and always having a lot of fun.
Jack attended Murphy Ranch Elementary until the 4th grade where he met many of his closest friends and received many awards for his academic excellence. The school on the one-year anniversary of Jack's passing installed 2 commercial-grade steel rubber-coated benches in front of his 4th-grade classroom with the words "Live Like Jack" which will stand proudly for many years to come. His classmates came up with this slogan of professing how to live life to the fullest and treat everyone with kindness.
Jack from an early age was excited about everything and that excitement never waned. He was especially excited about ordering his toys online and asking daddy daily when they would arrive. He wanted to know how things worked. Why people behaved the way they did and how come some many people in Los Angeles lived on the street. We would drive as a family downtown and we would show him where the homeless lived and ask him, “Do you want to live here?” He would say “No!” We would say, “Well then, you better get good grades and go to school every day, so you won’t end up here.” He got it. Immediately. He was wired. So much so that in school he consistently brought home the grades and honors that exceeds most parent’s expectations. Jessica’s unrelenting effort at making sure Jack’s homework was done, that he was prepared for school every day, lunches made, teeth brushed, bathed and ready to get after it daily was truly amazing.
Jack was interested in doing what was right, not who was right. He was good, he was smart, he was witty and had a great sense of humor. In fact, in January of 2018, his final month alive, he was reading more books than Jessica and Fred combined. He grew up hearing daddy tell him over and over again, “All Leaders Are Readers.” He really took it to heart. That’s who he was. We are proud of what we did with our son...God’s son.
Jack loved many sports, but his favorite was football. From the time he could walk, during a televised game when a team would line up for a field goal or extra point, Jack would line up as the kicker in front of the screen and as soon as the ball was snapped, he would emulate the kicker in the game, go through the motion and pretend to kick the ball. He did it all the time. It was awesome. In the past couple of years, Jack matured into a pretty solid receiver with La Mirada Flag Football. I believe one of the greatest pleasures any father can experience is watching their son score touchdowns, and Jack scored a lot. He dreamed of playing in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks. I always used to tell him, “Jack! My NFL kicker! I too shared in his dream.
When it came to music Jack was moved by many artists and many songs. He lipsynced countless songs in the back seat of my car as well as Jessica’s. I would catch him out of the corner of my eye in the review mirror on many occasions. It always made me smile. From the Beatles to the rock group Kiss, Queen, Tears for Fears, Bon Jovi, The Police, Bruno Mars, Linkin Park, The Killers, Imagine Dragons and a special place for Frank Sinatra.
If Jack were an adult, one might say he was a man’s man. Jessica and I believed he would have a great impact on the world and would be a man of influence and benevolence as he grew older. Although he was a ten-year-old boy, we knew we had someone special on our hands. Of course, we had no clue that God would want him back so soon.
So, we were blessed with this little angel for just over 10 years, who brightened our lives and it’s obvious to Jessica, Jeffrey, Hanah and myself and to everyone that knew him, that he meant so much and touched the lives of many.
I rarely missed a night putting him to bed and saying our prayers. That was our life together at bedtime. Of course, The Lord’s Prayer and a lot of Hail Mary’s, but it was the personal prayers which had the most positive effect on Jack. I would ask, The Lord to keep us safe, happy, healthy and wealthy in spirit and prosperity and do God’s will and God’s good work and help those who cannot help themselves. Jack got it. He ate it up. He knew in his heart this is the right course...God's course. The last thing I did before turning off the lights each night, I would lean down and whisper in his ear, “Daddy Loves Jack…”, he always responded, “Jack Loves Daddy.”
On the late morning of February 1, 2018, Jack suffered an extreme asthma attack, he could not breathe and passed out in the family living room, Jack's heart had stopped as well. Jessica and I attempted to resuscitate him waiting on the first responders, minutes later they arrived and whisked him off to St. Jude's Hospital in Fullerton. The experts there got Jack's heart beating again after it had stopped 32 minutes prior, Jack's breathing was now aided by machine. Jack was then transferred to Children's Hospital of Orange County. Mommy and Daddy stayed with him bedside for the first 3 days praying for a miracle.
We did not get that miracle, what we received instead was dozens of other miracles.
The doctor informed us that Jack would not be coming back to us that first afternoon. We stayed positive and continued praying as Jack hosted visitor after visitor at his bedside. During the time from February 1-5, 2018, hundreds of us were able to start the healing process, while Jack lay in his hospital bed on a respirator helping him breathe at CHOC. The intensive care unit and McDonald's Family room there were consistently packed with friends and family.
Jack was declared deceased by the State of California on Saturday, February 3, at 3:23 p.m. It was earlier on this day that Jessica and I made the decision to have Jack become an organ donor. Jack's body was kept alive and in the same state as when he arrived. Jack continued to help family and friends as they paid their respects visiting him, lying next to him, whispering secrets in his ear, and talking to him until the final goodbye came on the evening of February 5th.
That night at 9:30pm, mommy, daddy, brother and sister said their final goodbye’s and within an hour of us leaving him, Jack in one of his final selfless acts, saved the life of another child with one of his organs...with more children to follow. That is a miracle! One of many that Jack was and will be responsible for. Jack lives on! Not only in the recipients who were beneficiaries of his life saving organs, but Jack’s spirit lives on in me, my wife, his brother Jeffrey, his sister Hanah and in every one of you. That is how Jack Lived. God bless you all!
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Jack loved video games! Halo 5, Star Wars. The Clone Wars, Minecraft, and Tiger Woods Golf. His video gameplay was always preceded by doing his homework. Jack was on the principal's list and honor roll at Murphy Ranch Elementary in Whittier.
Jack enjoyed golfing with his father and brother. Late Sunday afternoons were typically earmarked for practice on the green and squeezing in a few holes.
Jack loved Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks. Here he enjoys holding up the 2 tickets Daddy just scored outside the stadium for his first and only NFL game to watch his favorite team, The Seattle Seahawks against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Jack loved being in charge and was always ready to take the wheel. Here he cruises through Newport Harbor, California with Mommy enjoying the ride.
Jack could hardly wait to drive it a real car! He raced go-karts as often as possible and loved getting behind the wheel of cars in the BMW showroom. He was also the top racer on our Carrera Slot Car Track.
Consistently on the honor roll and Principal's List year in and year out. Jack smiles after receiving his certificates and getting ready to enjoy the start of Christmas break in 2017..
