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National Donor Memorial

Located at United Network for Organ Sharing, the National Donor Memorial honors America’s organ and tissue donors. Funded entirely by private contributions, the 10,000-square-foot memorial garden was designed by a volunteer committee of donor family members, living donors and transplant recipients from across the country.

The memorial symbolizes the emotional journey experienced by donor families during the donation process.

Launch the full-screen virtual tour

Visit in person

Visit and tour the garden and UNOS headquarters

Connecting donor families and recipients

Sometimes donor families and recipients choose to contact one another. While the decision to share your experience is a personal choice, many donor families and recipients find comfort in correspondence. How to reach out.

Brianna Titterington
Fernando, my brother and hero
Daniel Walker
Jamie Garcia-Marrow

Donor tributes

Honor an organ donor by sharing an online tribute of their life’s special moments, accomplishments, and precious memories with family and friends. View tributes or share a donor tribute story through the links below.

Wall of names

See the section key to locate names on the wall

The Lisa Schaffner Community Advocate Award

Developed by UNOS in 2010 as the National Donor Memorial Award for Excellence, this honor was recently reimagined as the Lisa Schaffner Community Advocate Award, in honor of the memory of Lisa Schaffner, a beloved advocate for donation and transplant and longtime member of Team UNOS who passed away in 2021.

The Lisa Schaffner Community Advocate Awards recognizes unsung heroes from across the country who have gone above and beyond to promote organ donation. Like its namesake, recipients are tireless champions who help change lives and inspire others through their advocacy.

Awardees

Dr. Brittany Clayborne, 2023

Lisa Schaffner, 2022

Jon Lee, 2021

Tom and Susan Robinson, 2020

Jim Gleason, 2019

Terry Murray, 2018

Alejandra Cortes, 2017

Harvey Steele, 2016

David and Susan Caples, 2015

Barbara Lee, 2014

Patty Jo Herndon, 2013

Tom Gano, 2012

2022: UNOS has recognized Lisa Schaffner as the inaugural recipient of the Lisa Schaffner Community Advocate Award, in loving recognition of her commitment to organ donation and transplant, the countless lives she touched through her advocacy, and her enduring legacy as a force for good in her own backyard and across the nation.

National Tree of Life

The National Tree of Life virtual event is an opportunity to gather together to recognize the gift of organ, eye and tissue donation, to pay tribute to donors and their families, and to celebrate the lives of recipients across the country. We also hope this event may be a moment of solace for friends and families who are grieving, and for all who may experience a greater sense of loss during the holidays.

United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and Donate Life America (DLA) hosted the National Tree of Life virtual event on Dec. 14, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. EST.

To view the 2022 National Tree of Life event during which we shared stories and honored the legacy of donors in each state who gave the gift of life in 2022 and celebrated the thousands of lives they saved, open the toggle below.

2022 event recording

In years past, the program provided an opportunity for families to hang an ornament of their choosing on the Tree of Life in memory of their loved ones. Many of those ornaments can be seen here.

close-up of evergreen tree with variety of ornaments showing faces

Make a gift to the National Donor Memorial

Your gift supports the 10,000 square foot memorial garden located in Richmond, Virginia dedicated to organ donors nationwide, as well as programs and activities supporting education, tours and memorial celebrations. Give now.

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