Posted: 9/7/2016
September event recognizes organ donors, families
There was never any doubt about what Lanse T. Fox wanted to be when he grew up.
“Ever since he was a little bitty boy, he wanted to be a veterinarian,” said his mother Joan Fox. “And that’s what he became, because he wanted to help people. He always did.”
But just months after earning his doctor of veterinary medicine degree and starting work as a vet in Kaufman, Texas, Lanse was critically injured when a four-wheeler all-terrain vehicle rolled onto him. He died on March 8, 2014; he was 27 years old. His family then made the difficult decision to donate his organs so that other lives might be saved.
This week, Mrs. Fox will be among dozens of organ donor family members who will attend a special ceremony to see their loved ones honored on one of the four Wall of Heroes that have been installed at the new Parkland Memorial Hospital. The ceremony will take place Friday, Sept. 9, at Parkland.
Previously, each Wall of Heroes had been located outside the four intensive care units in the old hospital across Harry Hines Boulevard. The Wall of Heroes can now be found in the waiting area just outside the four intensive care units in the new Parkland hospital which opened in August 2015. The walls, which include a plaque with names and photos of organ donors, were created as part of a joint effort between Parkland and Southwest Transplant Alliance (STA).
“Lanse had not specified that he wanted to be an organ donor, but when it became apparent that I had to let him go, I prayed with family and friends,” Mrs. Fox said. “We all agreed that even in death, Lanse would want to help others. He had the sweetest and most caring heart that I prayed would continue life for someone else . . . He has continued to be the answer to the prayers of so many others.”
The Wall of Heroes program began in El Paso when a donor mother brought her daughter’s photo to the ICU of a hospital to thank staff members for their help in dealing with her daughter’s death. When the photo went on display, more donor families provided pictures of their loved ones, and the program was born. STA expanded the “Wall of Heroes” program across the nation and Parkland helped bring it to Dallas.
Parkland, in association with STA, launched the first organ donation program in Dallas in 1974. Since then Parkland has continued to be a donation leader in the area. Parkland employs three Family Support Specialists, registered nurses who provide access to resources needed by potential donor families, including access to pastoral care, social workers and medical staff who assist families through the donation process.
“The Wall of Heroes is our way of recognizing the donors and their families and letting them know that they will be remembered here, and that our role is to support them 100 percent during this very difficult time,” said Brandi Perez, BSN, RN, CCRN, Associate Unit Manager in Parkland’s Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit.
Plans for the Wall of Heroes began even before construction started on the new Parkland.
“Our initial dedication of the Wall of Heroes was in 2013 at the old hospital location, but our plan all along was to eventually install it in the new facility,” Perez said, adding that when the hospital held its 2013 dedication, about 40 donor families participated, including some who traveled great distances. “This event is just one small way we can show our appreciation to these families.”
Each family also will receive a glass ornament commemorating the event.
Perez said nursing staff also shows their recognition and appreciation of organ donors and their families in other ways. A small quilt made by the nursing staff is given to the family of every donor. Also, when a family has agreed to donate a loved one’s organs, a special flag is hung outside all four of the ICUs to honor the donor and their family while bringing awareness to hospital staff and visitors.
“Making the decision to be an organ, eye or tissue donor is the ultimate gift,” said Patti Niles, President and CEO the Southwest Transplant Alliance “We have the honor and privilege of supporting the families who are asked to make the decision to donate in the midst of their most tragic loss. These are people who are willing to open their hearts and see past their grief to help someone else in need.
“Our mission is to save lives and Parkland has helped us achieve this vision, literally from the very beginning,” Niles said. “When STA began in 1974, STA’s offices were located at Parkland, and it’s been a winning partnership ever since.”
To learn more about the Southwest Transplant Alliance, go to www.organ.org.