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| Tony Sisco's family was present to honor his organ donation at the Beaumont flag raising ceremony. |
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| Patty Sills, RN, created a Donation Memory Scrap- book to honor all of the hospital's organ donors. |
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| Hospital staff and friends of Tony Sisco, Jr. raised the Donate Life flag in honor of "Little Tony". |
William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak
On an exceptionally cold Saturday this April, Tony Sisco gazed at a "Donation Saves Lives" flag whipping in a snowy breeze in front of William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak and knew the snow would have pleased his son, known as "Little Tony."
"That's Tony's gift to us," said Sisco, surrounded by more than 30 friends, family members, Beaumont staffers and Gift of Life Michigan representatives during the flag-raising ceremony. "That's why it's snowing."
In fact, the "Donation Saves Lives" flag-raising was Beaumont's gift to Little Tony – who was 12 when he became an organ donor following a snowboarding accident in late 2005 – and a tribute to all who have bestowed "the gift of life" on others.
Besides honoring donors, Beaumont officials created the flag-raising ceremonies last year to draw public awareness to organ donation and to the lengthy waiting list of people needing a transplant.
The Royal Oak hospital has held five ceremonies so far and intends to raise a flag for every organ donation. It invites donor families to attend and tailors the ceremony to fit their needs. "Every one is unique," said Holly Bair, MSN/NP, who is the trauma coordinator at Beaumont.
Bair worked with Patty Sills, RN, Beaumont's donation liaison with Gift of Life Michigan, to get the ceremonies started. The response from donor families, hospital staff and the public has been great, they said.
"We do it for public awareness," Bair said. "People will see the flag, maybe they'll ask some questions. In Tony's case, he had just asked his parents about (organ donation). If he hadn't had that conversation, maybe there wouldn't have been a donation and people wouldn't have been saved. You have to have those crucial conversations."
Sills also has worked with donor families to create a Donation Memory Scrapbook, which she shares at the ceremonies and also uses in staff education sessions. It's part of a growing culture of support for organ donation at Beaumont.
Although they can't be tied directly to the flag ceremonies, Beaumont's results so far this year have been notable. Through the first three months, Beaumont had 12 organ donors, compared with 14 for all of 2006.
Spread the message
Here are additional details about the flag-raisings:
- The "Donate Life" flag is 5-feet by 3-feet and costs $30. It is available through the Donate Life America website, www.shareyourlife.org.
(Click on "Donate Life Store.")
- At Beaumont Hospital, Patty Sills, the organ donation liaison, sends a letter to the donor family about two months after the donation to let them know the flag will be flown for four days in their loved one's honor. She invites the family to attend the small ceremony, but even if the family chooses not to participate, the hospital raises the flag to promote donation awareness.
- A group email is sent to all hospital staff, and everyone is welcome to attend.
- The family can help tailor the ceremony to reflect their loved one.
- Often, letters from transplant recipients are read, which has proven particularly gratifying to the hospital's Operating Room staff and others.
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