Donate Life Month Flag Raising Ceremony Honors Organ Donors and Transplant Recipients

In recognition of National Donate Life Month, Adventist Health Glendale partnered with OneLegacy to host a meaningful flag-raising ceremony earlier this month, joining hospitals across the nation in honoring organ, eye, and tissue donors and the lives they have saved.

Observed each April, National Donate Life Month is a time to recognize the generosity of donors and donor families, celebrate transplant recipients, and raise awareness of the critical need for more registered donors. This year’s theme, “Leave a Legacy,” highlights the lasting impact of donation, and how one selfless decision can create a ripple effect of healing, hope, and renewed life.

A reflection on legacy and the gift of life

The ceremony opened with remarks from Chaplain Mark Witas, Director of Mission and Spiritual Care, who reflected on the profound meaning behind organ, eye, and tissue donation.

“As a faith-based health ministry, we understand that some of the most profound acts of love are also the most selfless,” Witas shared. “Organ, eye, and tissue donation is one of those acts — a reflection of generosity at its highest level.”

He spoke to the significance of the moment, noting that the Donate Life flag is raised in gratitude for donors and their families, in honor of recipients whose lives have been transformed, and in recognition of the caregivers and clinical teams who support patients through some of life’s most sacred moments.

Building on that reflection, liver transplant recipient Raul Sansores shared his personal story and offered a powerful, firsthand perspective on the impact of donation. He spoke about receiving a second chance at life through a liver transplant and the deep sense of connection he feels to his donor.

With gratitude, Raul shared that in many ways, his donor lives on through him. Each day and with each interaction, he carries forward the gift of honoring the legacy of the person who made his life possible.

His story served as a moving reminder that behind every transplant is a human connection; one life continuing through another, and a legacy that lives on.

The ongoing need for donors

The ceremony also served as a reminder of the ongoing need for organ donation. More than 100,000 people nationwide are currently waiting for a lifesaving transplant, including over 20,000 in California alone. Every nine minutes, another person is added to the national transplant waiting list.

A single organ donor can save up to eight lives and improve the lives of as many as 75 more through tissue and cornea donation, an extraordinary legacy that extends far beyond one individual.

Honoring legacy, inspiring action

As the Donate Life flag was raised, it stood as both a tribute and a call to action.

“Today, we raise this flag as an invitation,” Witas said. “An invitation to learn, to reflect, to have conversations with our loved ones, and to consider how each of us might leave behind a legacy of life.”

Throughout the month of April, Adventist Health Glendale will continue to support Donate Life Month through awareness efforts and community engagement, encouraging individuals to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and to share their decision with loved ones.

By partnering with OneLegacy and participating in this national observance, Adventist Health Glendale reaffirms its commitment to whole-person care — and to advancing a culture of generosity that saves and heals lives.

To learn more or to register as an organ, eye, and tissue donor, visit: OneLegacy.org/Register