CHI Health honors donation and transplantation with April tributes
Kearney & Grand Island—April is National Donate Life Month, an important time dedicated to raising awareness about the critical need for organ, eye and tissue donation.
In honor of generous donors, their families and recipients, CHI Health will host three special observances in April as a tribute to the gift of life. Anyone touched by donation is invited to attend.
Donate Life Flag Raising Ceremony
The Donate Life flag has become a national symbol of unity, remembrance and hope, while honoring those touched by donation and transplantation. The hospitals’ annual flag raising ceremonies will include brief remarks and a prayer.
CHI Health St. Francis, 11:30 am, Wednesday, April 1, flagpole near hospital’s front entrance
CHI Health Good Samaritan, 11 am, Wednesday, April 1, flagpole near hospital’s West Tower
Donate Life Blue and Green Day
CHI Health also asks the public to join them in wearing blue and green on Friday, April 10 in honor of National Donate Life Blue and Green Day. This show of support will give hope to those waiting for a life-saving gift and help build awareness about the importance of registering as an organ, eye and tissue donor. Join the Donor Registry at: liveonnebraska.org/register
St. Francis Donor Remembrance Ceremony
CHI Health St. Francis is hosting their annual Donor Remembrance Ceremony at 1 pm on Wednesday, April 29 in Conference Room 2/3. The tribute will include a guest speaker, stories of remembrance and hope and a candle lighting tribute. The hospital’s Organ and Tissue Donor Memorial Wall, established by the CHI Health St. Francis Foundation, will reflect recent donors.
For the first time, a tree planting will conclude the ceremony on the hospital's front lawn. The memorial symbolizes the lasting legacy of hope and life from a donor's gift, much like a tree that grows and endures for generations.
CHI Health St. Francis has recently been recognized with DoNation Campaign Platinum status, the highest distinction awarded by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. The prestigious honor spotlights the hospital’s outstanding commitment to donor awareness, education and registration.
More about organ and tissue donation: https://liveonnebraska.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Media-Guide-Dec-2021.pdf
In 2025, Nebraska achieved a new organ transplant record: 121 organ donations saved 314 lives, contributing to a total of 1,262 donor heroes who gave the gift of life. Beyond organ donation, 628 tissue donations potentially restored 46,977 lives, and 587 birth tissue* donations potentially restored 5,880 lives. Despite these incredible acts of generosity, 400 Nebraskans remain on the waiting list for a life-saving donation.
*Birth tissue, the placenta, umbilical cord and amniotic fluid, can be saved after delivery and made into grafts to help others heal. Donating birth tissue has no effect on the delivery process or the mother and baby’s care.