Parkland ‘Wall of Heroes’ dedicated to organ donors

Published: 4/7/2015

More than 40 years ago, Parkland Health & Hospital System in association with Southwest Transplant Alliance (STA) launched the first organ donation program in Dallas. Since then, hundreds of donors have saved thousands of lives through Parkland’s transplant program. In 2014, 23 donors at Parkland saved 75 lives. Since January, four donors at Parkland have saved eight lives.

During National Donate Life Month, Parkland and STA are again partnering to increase awareness about organ, eye, and tissue donation by hosting donor registration drives in the hospital’s outpatient pharmacy lobby from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., April 9, 16 and 23. The outpatient pharmacy is located on the hospital’s first floor, 5201 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, 75235.

In addition, Donate Life Flags will hang outside of Parkland’s four intensive care units throughout the month of April to honor organ donors and their families for their unselfish acts of kindness to others. “Wall of Heroes” plaques are also on display outside of the units. Those plaques will be relocated to new Parkland hospital prior to its opening in August

The Wall of Heroes program began in a hospital in El Paso, Texas when a donor mother brought her daughter’s photo to the ICU to thank them for their help in dealing with her daughter’s passing. The photo went on display, more donor families provided pictures of their loved ones, and the program was born. Southwest Transplant Alliance expanded the “Wall of Heroes” program across the state and Parkland helped bring it to Dallas

“Part of our responsibility in caring for patients and families is to inform them of all of their options,” said Brandi Perez, BSN, RN, CCRN, a Parkland ICU nurse and Clinical Champion of Organ Donation for Parkland. “Every family deserves the opportunity for organ donation if their loved one is a candidate. Our role is to support them 100 percent during this very difficult time, regardless of their decision to donate or not.”

Parkland employs three full-time Family Support Specialists, registered nurses who provide access to resources needed by potential donor families, including pastoral care, social workers and medical staff. Parkland’s staff assists STA Family Services Coordinators while they help families through the organ donation process.

Approximately 18 people die each day waiting on a life-saving organ and every 15 minutes someone who needs a life-saving organ is added to the waiting list. As of March 6, 2015, there were 13,502 patients on Texas’ waiting list for organs. Nationally, that number is 134,559 patients.

To learn more about Southwest Transplant Alliance, please visit www.organ.org. To register as an organ, eye and tissue donor, please visit www.DonateLifeTexas.org. Back