South Texas Blood & Tissue honors tissue donors and encourages Texans to sign up and save lives
In its eighth year, South Texas Blood & Tissue, a Donate Life Texas partner, is helping families honor their loved ones during the holidays with The Giving Tree display at its Donor Centers across South Texas.
With vibrant ornaments to symbolize life and shining lights to inspire the community, The Giving Tree stands to celebrate lifesaving donor heroes and bring hope to the children and adults who await an organ or tissue transplant.
Brian Coleman passed away in August 2021 at age 58 from complications of a heart attack and stroke. For his wife, Precious Coleman, Brian’s final act of kindness as a tissue and cornea donor was representative of his life of service as a coach and mentor.
“It is so comforting knowing that he is continually giving even after his physical life, and he gave so much during his physical life,” she said.
Families were invited to decorate ornaments or to submit their loved one’s name with personalized messages, which were placed on the tree for the public to view. Located at South Texas Blood & Tissue’s Donor Pavilion in San Antonio, the tree will remain throughout the 2022 winter holidays. Miniature trees with ornaments dedicated to tissue donors are also on display at eight other Donor Centers across South Texas.
Along with honoring local donors, The Giving Tree serves as an educational tool to inspire Texans to sign up as organ, eye and tissue donors. Visitors will be able to scan a QR code on a poster in front of The Giving Tree to sign up with Donate Life Texas, the state’s official donation registry.
In Texas alone, more than 10,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant and 44% of adults in Texas are not yet registered donors. Thousands more need cornea and tissue transplants to restore vision and mobility. Each person has the power to save eight lives as an organ donor and can enhance the lives of an average of 75 others through eye and tissue donation.
To learn the facts about donation or to sign up as a lifesaving organ, eye and tissue donor, visit DonateLifeTexas.org.
