Carrying Them With Us: How Donor Families Keep Their Loved Ones Close on Donor Remembrance Day

On April 30th, the donation community comes together for Donor Remembrance Day, a national day of tribute to those who gave the gift of life through organ, eye, and tissue donation. Organized by the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO), this day invites families of donors, donor recipients, and supporters to pause, honor, and share the stories of those they’ve lost.

Grief and remembrance are deeply personal and can take many forms. For many donor family members, a loved one’s legacy means keeping a piece of them close. That could be a necklace worn everyday, a tattoo with a meaningful message, or a bench in their loved one’s favorite spot. These tangible reminders are more than mementos. They’re declarations: You were here. You mattered. You still do.

This Donor Remembrance Day, we want to share the stories of three families from our community who have found beautiful, deeply personal ways to carry their loved ones forward.

A Thumbprint Close to Her Heart: Anna & Mike

Anna of Littleton, Colorado, lost her husband Mike unexpectedly in 2022. Mike’s world revolved around his family and his faith. He loved playing softball with his son, getting to watch his daughter graduate, and soaking up every moment with the people he loved most.

Through this decision to be a donor, Mike’s tissue gifts reached people around the world, including his corneas, which traveled as far as Ireland to restore someone’s sight.

Today, Anna wears a necklace pendant engraved with Mike’s thumbprint.

“I sometimes think, ‘There’s someone out there who was given a gift because of him. His eyes are out there somewhere.’ It’s a really comforting thought.”

She hopes sharing his story will inspire others to talk with their loved ones about donation. “It’s one of the best gifts you can give to your family as well as to the recipients,” she said. “I know he’s smiling down on us. He’s beaming with pride.” Watch Anna’s full story on our Stories of Hope page.

A Sea Turtle for Tanner: Allison’s Story

When Tanner Vogel got his driver’s permit, he made the decision to register as an organ, eye, and tissue donor. That decision would go on to save and heal more than 120 lives.

Tanner loved baseball. He played Little League, college ball, and eventually coached, carrying that love of the game all the way through his life.

His mother, Allison, has found her own way to carry him with her.

Before Tanner passed away, the two had a running joke: he always wanted Allison to get a tattoo, and she always said, ‘absolutely not.’ On a trip to Hawaii, Tanner had planned to get a sea turtle tattooed on the top of his foot, but a bad sunburn kept that from happening.

After he passed, Allison made good on what he never got to do. She got the sea turtle tattoo, for Tanner, and alongside it, a Celtic symbol of mother and child.

“Tanner used to make fun of me because he always wanted me to get a tattoo, and I always told him, ‘absolutely not, I’m not getting a tattoo,'” Allison recalled. “So, I decided after he passed away, I would get a sea turtle tattoo in his memory.”

In May of 2025, Allison took the pitcher’s mound at Coors Field in a tribute to her son. “I know he would be proud of me,” she said. Watch Allison’s full story on our Stories of Hope page.

A Place to Rest: Laurie & Sam’s Memorial Bench

On Easter Sunday in 2018, Laurie Weaver of Casper, Wyoming, lost her husband Sam suddenly.

Sam was a teacher. He taught Environmental Science and Biology with a passion his students felt every day. He’d spent 50 years volunteering with the National Ski Patrol, served as president of the Casper Mountain Fire Department Board, and was the driving force behind Wyoming’s first Firewise defensible space program. He loved Casper Mountain deeply, and the mountain carries his memory in a plaque at the Hogadon Ski Area lodge.

Sam had renewed his driver’s license just a month before he passed and he’d checked yes to organ, eye, and tissue donation.

In his honor, a memorial bench now stands as a place where others can sit, breathe, and remember.

“I felt so proud to know Sam had given such an amazing gift,” Laurie has shared. “Knowing this brought us so much peace and comfort that day.” Read more about Laurie’s story on our Stories of Hope page.

Donor Remembrance Day falls on April 30th, closing out National Donate Life Month with a moment of collective gratitude and tribute.

How to Honor a Donor Hero This April 30th

AOPO’s virtual Donor Hero Garden allows anyone to “plant” a forget-me-not flower in honor of a loved one who became a donor. It’s a symbol that their courage and generosity will never be forgotten. You can participate from anywhere and share your tribute using #DonorRemembranceDay on social media.

Other ways to get involved:

· Share your loved one’s story with someone who hasn’t heard it

· Register as an organ, eye, and tissue donor

· Contribute a quilt square to our Donor Family Quilt Project. Each square honors a loved one and becomes part of a larger tapestry representing the lives given and the legacies that live on

Grief doesn’t ask us to forget. It asks us to find new ways to remember. A necklace. A tattoo. A bench. A tree. A quilt square. A forget-me-not planted in a virtual garden.

However you choose to honor the donor heroes in your life this April 30th, we hope you know: the community is carrying them with you.