Cook Children's Honors Children Who Gave and Received Organs Through Donation

Each year, Cook Children’s flies a flag and lights up our Fort Worth Medical Center in blue and green to raise awareness for organ donation.

Cook Children’s partners with the organ procurement organization LifeGift. On April 24, representatives from LifeGift helped raise the “Donate Life” flag on our campus in honor of the patients who have received donated organs and the deceased patients who became organ donors.

“Cook Children’s has been working with LifeGift for years so we can help save lives in another way,” said Marie Boyd, Office Operations Manager in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Donors at Cook Children’s have provided kidneys, hearts, livers, lungs and other organs for transplant surgeries across Texas and beyond. Their first names and ages are etched into a memorial plaque near the medical center’s prayer garden. From 2022-2024 at Cook Children’s, there were 23 organ donors and 75 organs transplanted for a total of 63 lives saved.

“In the face of unimaginable loss, organ donation offers grieving families a rare and powerful gift: the chance for their child’s legacy to live on by saving another life or lives. It’s a profound reminder that even in the darkest moments, hope can take root,” said Mindy Coates, BSN, RN and LifeGift Chair.

A very special person, Eli Marski, joined this year’s flag raising. Eli received a life-saving kidney transplant when he was born. He shared powerful words to honor and thank all organ donors, especially his.

“I just am full of gratitude for the second chance that my child has been given,” Kami Williams, Eli’s mom, said. “I would say he’s a warrior, he’s my hero.”

LifeGift delivers lifesaving transplants to those who need them. Sign up online to register as a donor.