A memorial dedicated to Britain's organ and tissue donors is to be officially unveiled in Staffordshire today.
The Gift of Life Memorial will be opened by the Duke of Gloucester at the National Memorial Arboretum.
It is dedicated to those who have "saved and transformed" the lives of others, NHS Blood and Transplant said.
Organ donors, recipients and the families of donors are expected to attend the event.
The memorial features a colourful mosaic butterfly on top of a forget-me-not flower.
It bears the words: "Reflection, Recognition, Remembrance", and was designed by the Birmingham-based artist Julia Hennessy-Priest.
The family of organ donor Keith Buckley, who died in December after suffering a serious head injury in a fall, will be among those at the unveiling.
His daughter Jane Stubbs said: "It's like he is living on, his legacy is still out there.
"It has helped us knowing that other people have benefited from dad's gift.
"It means something positive and good has come out of such a tragedy."
David Nix, the chairman of the Donor Family Network, said: "It has been one of the charity’s dreams to have a national memorial for everyone whose lives have been touched by organ and tissue donation and transplantation.
"We hope that this is a place where donor families can proudly remember the amazing gift their loved one made as well as a place that people whose lives have been saved by donors can pay tribute to the stranger who helped them."
No comments:
Post a Comment