Kelly Matsuwaka
Organ, Eye and Tissue Donor Hero
Kelly embraced life with passion and generosity. Her playful spirit and radiant smile put you at ease and made you feel welcome. Kelly was a daughter, sister, auntie, friend, wife (to her husband, Sean) and dog mom (to her rescue pup, Kirby).
Kelly was born and raised in Hawaii and, after falling in love in organic chemistry class, she and Sean settled in Seattle, where he became a doctor and assistant professor at UW Medicine and she became a pharmacist at Harborview Medical Center.
Photo: Kelly and her husband Sean on their wedding day in Hawaii.
Kelly’s appreciation for nature was evident in her love of raising plants and hiking all over the wilds of the Pacific Northwest. Sadly, just weeks before her 35th birthday in the fall of 2023, she collapsed during a hike with Sean. Despite heroic efforts by first responders, she would not recover.
Kelly was a registered donor, and many of her family and friends lined the halls for her honor walk to celebrate the beautiful legacy of love she left behind — both during her life and for the five people she saved as an organ donor.
Photo: Kelly posing with her dog, Kirby, on her wedding day.
Photo: Kelly and Sean during their travels to Machu Picchu.
