Yesterday, Wednesday, April 29, 2015, Riverside Community Hospital hosted their third Tree of Life ceremony co-hosted by OneLegacy in honor of past hospital patients who were recent organ or tissue donors.
The symbolic memorial tree is mounted on the hospital's wall in the main lobby in honor of those who have passed, but whose memory and legacy lives on through the many lives they have saved. It serves as an encouragement to all who see it to consider donating to those who may not have a chance.
Families of donors are invited to this private ceremony and are presented with a certificate, a rose, and a special leaf with the name of their loved one, which is then placed on the branches of the tree.
On Wednesday, 16 new donor names were added the trees branches as they were recognized and honored for their gift of life.
The Transplant Center at Riverside Community Hospital is an established program offering kidney and kidney/pancreas transplants. The Transplant Team is a multi-disciplinary team focused on meeting the complex needs of the patient from the initial appointment through the post-transplant period.