April is National Donate Life Month, need for organ donors remains high

On April 6, a small crowd gathered at the Garden of Hope near the Wesley building in Wadena. Tri-County Health Care staff and some special guests filled the garden for a special flag-raising event. April is National Donate Life Month. During this time, medical organizations around the world promote organ donation and the life-saving benefits that come from it.

Sarah Fisher had the opportunity to speak about her son’s passing and organ donation. During the ceremony she dedicated a special paver to his memory

The long-time organizer of the event, Lois Miller, served as master of ceremonies. Her work behind the scenes has been instrumental in the design and construction of the Garden of Hope. Additionally, she is responsible for bringing in new speakers each year for the flag-raising.

Tri-County Health Care partners with LifeSource, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting with organ donations throughout the United States. Barb Nelson-Agnew, a representative from LifeSource, was present for the proceedings. During her speech, she shared organ donation statistics. According to LifeSource, Tri-County Health Care’s 13 donors have helped over 975 people over six years.

The main speaker was Sarah Fisher from Horace, North Dakota. She was invited to share the story of her son’s passing and his subsequent organ donation. At this event, she dedicated a paver to her son Cameron. Currently, she is working on having a Garden of Hope built in the Fargo Area. 

Fisher became a serious advocate for organ donation after losing her son in a car accident in 2018. Cameron was known for his giving spirit, so Fisher set out on a mission of remembrance for her son but also to persuade others to become organ donors. She is currently distributing random act of kindness rocks across the globe. This rock is decorated with the Donate Life logo and it comes with information about Cameron. Fisher hopes people will find these rock and spread goodwill throughout their respective communities and become organ donors.

For more information about Cameron and his story, please visit the Crosses for Cameron Facebook page. To learn more about Tri-County Health Care’s Garden of Hope, or how to become an organ donor, please visit www.TCHC.org/patients-and-visitors/organ-donation.