To say Lindsay Gutierrez is in rare company is an extreme understatement.
Being a deployed veteran already puts her in rarified air, but the fact that she’s one of only 280 people in the U.S. to be a double organ donor places her among a very small and elite group.
But that’s exactly what Gutierrez, an Air Force veteran, did after serving six years in the military, donating one of her kidneys to a fellow veteran, and giving 40 percent of her liver to save the life of an anonymous patient.
A Life of Service
It’s her way of continuing a life of service after leaving the military.
“I’m one of only about 280 people in the United States—just 0.000084 percent of the population—who have become dual living organ donors,” Gutierrez said in a press release. “It’s a statistic that reflects not just rarity, but the incredible potential each of us has to give life.”
The seed for organ donation was planted a few years ago when a friend told her of a patient in need of a transplant. Fast forward several months later and she spotted a Donor Outreach for Veterans (DOVE) ad in an issue of Military Times. Gutierrez knew she had to help.
On May 25, 2022, she donated her left kidney to an ailing veteran. Less than two years later, on April 30, 2024, the Air Force veteran gave 40 percent of her liver to another recipient. Gutierrez said she didn’t do it for recognition or fame, rather out of a “deep sense of service and compassion.”
“It’s a call to action, a statement that we are all capable of extraordinary compassion—and that service doesn’t end when the uniform comes off,” she said. “It’s awe-inspiring what our bodies can do to heal—and even more so, what we can do to help each other heal.”
Patients in desperate need of a new organ often wait years to receive one; sadly, some never do. Gutierrez said about 17 people die every day waiting for that life-saving transplant.
“Living donation bypasses the years-long waitlists—waitlists that over 90,000 people are stuck on, many of them growing sicker while waiting,” she said.
From Organ Donor to Pin-Up Model
Recently, Gutierrez has turned to modeling, showing off her zest for life and radiant smile to again help veterans. She’s one of several women veterans featured in the 2026 Pin-Ups For Vets calendar. Pin-Ups For Vets, celebrating its 20th year, is a nonprofit organization that not only features women veterans in an uplifting, powerful way but also supports hospitalized and deployed military personnel.
Gutierrez learned about Pin-Ups For Vets after being crowned Ms. Veteran America in 2017. She was inspired by the nonprofit’s mission to support veterans.
“It celebrates our service while honoring the classic legacy of pin-up culture, which has long been a symbol of strength, resilience, and beauty,” she said. “I love how the organization bridges the past and present—paying homage to the original pin-ups while giving today’s women veterans a platform to feel proud, confident, and connected.”
Gina Elise, founder of Pin-Ups For Vets, said the calendar celebrates strength, service and the power of women veterans.
“Lindsay is the embodiment of that mission. She didn’t just serve her country—she saved lives,” Elise said in a press release.
Sales from the calendar go toward supporting veterans’ healthcare, boosting morale and aiding recovery, according to Elise. To support Pin-Ups For Vets, Gutierrez visits Veterans Affairs healthcare facilities and assisted living homes across the U.S., talking to veterans and swapping stories.
“This is her service after service,” Elise said.
Healthy After Donations
Gutierrez, who will turn 43 on Dec. 17, said she has no adverse health effects from donating one full organ and almost half of another.
Going into surgery to remove the organs, Gutierrez told Military.com that while she was nervous, she felt no fear.
“If there was any fear, then it was completely overshadowed by the fact that I recognized the reason for donating was much bigger and for a greater purpose. Not once did I consider backing out during the process because I knew that the surgery was lifesaving for other people,” she said.
The Air Force veteran said she had no post-surgery complications.
“I was naturally sore, and recovery took about two weeks before I was able to really start doing things on my own without assistance,” Gutierrez said. “Knowing what I know now, I would still go through this process and donate again if I could. Living organ donation is truly a remarkable medical feat that has expanded access to life-saving transplants for patients who might otherwise wait years.”
Inspired by Grandpa
Growing up in Midwest City, Oklahoma, Gutierrez could never have imagined joining the service.
With dreams of pursuing a career in the special effects industry, she moved to Los Angeles in 2009. But Gutierrez struggled, living paycheck to paycheck. Finding herself a bit lost, she turned to her grandfather, an Air Force veteran, for advice. He told her joining the military might not be a bad option.
“His advice, along with a desire for more stability and purpose, led me to enlist in 2010,” Gutierrez said.
Having already earned a bachelor’s degree, Gutierrez was hoping to become an officer, but the officer boards were closed at the time. Still craving a career overhaul, she chose to enlist.
For six years, she served in the Security Forces, stationed at RAF Lakenheath near Suffolk, England. She said her time in service gave her plenty of personal and professional growth. Gutierrez deployed twice to Qatar and Djibouti and went on several TDY (temporary duty) assignments.
“The people I served with, the cultures I encountered, and the responsibilities I held shaped me into a more resilient, capable, and purpose-driven person,” she said.
Of all the people she served with, one person, Anthony, proved to be extra special. The couple fell in love and were married in 2015.
“Among all the incredible things the military gave me, Anthony was by far the most unexpected and life-changing,” Gutierrez said.
Accident Changed Everything
While in Djibouti in 2014, Gutierrez was injured during a vehicle crash, not knowing she had suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Her injury went undiagnosed and she received an honorable discharge in 2016.
What came next was one of the most difficult three years of her life. Gutierrez struggled with unemployment, health challenges and disillusionment. She was finally diagnosed with TBI and received the mental health care she needed.
“That moment became a turning point,” she said. “It opened my eyes to how many veterans are quietly suffering with undiagnosed or untreated mental health and neurological conditions.”
Through her own health conflicts, Gutierrez discovered a new purpose in life. “I realized I wanted to be a voice and advocate for others navigating similar struggles,” she said.
Tapping into educational opportunities she gained from her service time, Gutierrez earned two master’s degrees. She’s currently working on a doctorate in social work.
“My goal is to use my education and lived experience to fight for better care, awareness, and support for veterans,” Gutierrez said.
She also wants to inform others that they can be living donors and still lead a normal, healthy life.
“When people see a real-life example, when they learn how safe and transformative living donation can be, it opens the door to more conversations, more compassion, and ultimately, more lives saved,” Gutierrez said. “I advocate for living organ donation because there are still far too many people waiting; whether we know it or not, we’re all connected, in one way or another, to this health crisis.”
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