HEBER SPRINGS, Ark. – In appreciation of Arkansas hospitals’ support of organ, eye and tissue donation, staff of the Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency (ARORA) recently presented Baptist Health Medical Center-Heber Spring Vice President and Administrator Ed Lacy with a complimentary rose.
Lacy then personalized the rose in honor of Arkansans who became organ, eye and tissue donors in 2014. His rose, along with thousands of handwritten rose dedications from across the state as well as the country, will be placed in the Donate Life float’s Dedication Garden for the world to see.
Watched by 55 million U.S. television viewers on New Year’s Day, 800,000 parade spectators, and people in 150 countries, the Rose Parade is “America’s New Year Celebration” – and an ideal venue to showcase how hospitals across the country make possible the lifesaving and healing benefits of organ, eye and tissue donation.
For the past 12 years, dozens of organizations nationwide have collaborated to enter the Donate Life Float in the Rose Parade. Originally envisioned by a lung recipient who wished to thank organ, eye and tissue donors for their gifts of life, the Donate Life Rose Parade Float has grown into a national tradition featuring more than 100 participants each year: riders who have received transplants; walkers who are living kidney donors; and deceased donors memorialized in “Floragraph” portraits integrated into the float’s inspiring design.
The Donate Life Rose Parade Float entry is a showcase of compassion, perseverance and courage in the face of adversity. The Donate Life Dedication Garden fills the deck of the float with thousands of roses, each placed in a vial carrying a unique, personal message from an individual, family, hospital administrator or organization. Each unique, personal message is read aloud prior to placement in the Dedication Garden.
Baptist Health is the state’s most comprehensive healthcare system. With more than 175 points of access, including eight hospitals, Baptist Health is committed to delivering “All Our Best” in healthcare to Arkansans. For more information about Baptist Health, call Baptist Health HealthLine at 1-888-BAPTIST.
