REPROCELL and BioBridge Global sign Memorandum of Understanding to accelerate global manufacturing services using clinical iPSCs

National Funeral Director and Mortician Recognition Day

Losing a loved one is a life-changing event. In addition to coping with loss, there is an avalanche of matters for families to manage.

Oftentimes, funeral professionals are among the first to assist families after a death occurs.

Having a funeral or memorial service is usually a pivotal part of a family’s grief journey. It allows family and friends to acknowledge the death, come together to say goodbye, and reflect on memories of their loved one.

March 11 is National Funeral Director and Mortician Recognition Day. This observance is an opportunity to acknowledge the compassionate care and service that funeral professionals provide to families who have experienced a death loss.

In recognition of this day, we will be sending cards to funeral homes throughout our service area to thank them for the care and support they provide for bereaved families.

We are inviting you to acknowledge the funeral service professionals who assisted you during your loss. We will provide you with the cards to write your message on and pre-paid postage.

If you’d like to participate in this effort, fill out the form in the January Grief Support and Life Legacies newsletter.

Helping others was always important

For Emmanuel and David Casasola, keeping their father’s legacy alive means watching his favorite sport, soccer, playing his favorite Beatles songs on the guitar, and giving back to the community as he did. 

Jose Casasola was known for his generosity. One year before Christmas, he suggested the family forsake their own gifts and buy winter coats for his neighbor’s grandchildren because he noticed their need. 

“Anybody who needed help, he was willing to step up and help out,” David said. 

Two months after a heart attack in 2017, Jose passed away. His tissue donation enhanced the lives of up to 75 people. 

“We later found out that some of his tissue went into dental product,” said Emmanuel. “Which was kind of beautiful because he was a dentist in Mexico.”

Emmanuel is the Executive Director of Global Quality at BioBridge Global, the nonprofit parent organization for South Texas Blood & Tissue and GenCure, and he said his passion for donating blood and tissue only grew after his father’s passing.  

“It’s so important for there to be more representation in donors – minority donors – and it’s really cool to think that my dad was part of that,” Emmanuel said. 

Jose was proud of his Mexican heritage. One memory the Casasolas will always joke about is their dad’s favorite soccer team was Chivas de Guadalajara. However, Jose had never been to Guadalajara.  

“My brother and I, we’re actually fans of their biggest rival team (Club America),” Emmanuel said with a laugh. 

Jose’s legacy lives on through the lives of his family, including three grandsons, his wife of 40 years, and countless other children and grandchildren he treated as his own. 

“He was a family man. That was one thing about him – he loved his family,” David said. 

Most importantly, Jose’s family will always remember how big his heart was. 

Five things that take longer than a blood donation 

The typical whole blood donation takes about an hour, from the questionnaire to the snacks, which isn’t a lot out of your typical day to save up to three lives. 

Here are five things in life that take longer than an hour: 

  1. The first half of any Dallas Cowboys game, factoring in penalties, replays, time-outs and commercials. 
  1. Driving from downtown San Antonio to Boerne at rush hour. 
  1. Any movie really. 
  1. Finding and paying for five or more items at Costco. 
  1. A trip to the Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, including tour and tasting. 

You can learn how easy it is to become a blood donor by clicking here. Schedule your donation today. 

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