National Donate Life Month: Leaving a Legacy of Hope
Every April, Southwest Transplant Alliance (STA) observes National Donate Life Month (DLM), a heartfelt campaign led by Donate Life America to highlight the lifesaving impact of organ donation. Across Texas—from El Paso to Dallas to Tyler and beyond—we came together with our Community of Hope to recognize donor heroes and celebrate the lives made possible through their generosity.
Each year, the donation community unites under a symbolic DLM theme that reflects the spirit behind the mission. This year’s theme, “Leave a Legacy,” reminds us that just as trees grow and support one another in a forest, donation connects us all, from donors to recipients to the families who walk alongside them. Like a tree that continues to grow and stand strong for generations, a donor hero’s gift creates a lasting legacy of hope.
Honoring Donor Heroes at Annual Celebration of Life Ceremony
We are deeply honored to walk alongside donor hero families, sharing in the remembrance of their loved ones. This DLM, we hosted our annual Celebration of Life in STA’s Donor Memorial Garden—a gathering dedicated to recognizing those who gave the gift of life over the past year.
During the ceremony, donor families saw their loved one’s name engraved on a legacy leaf, marking a meaningful moment of reflection. As donor hero names were read aloud for all in attendance and butterflies were released in their honor, the ceremony underscored the lasting impact of donation and the many lives it continues to reach.
Flag Raisings Across Texas
Throughout April, hospital partners across the communities we serve hosted flag-raising ceremonies and observances in recognition of donor heroes and their families. Each flag raised served as a visible symbol of healing, generosity, and the lives touched through organ donation.
These gatherings were further enriched through Connect to Purpose stories—from messages of gratefulness shared by transplant recipients to donor families coming together to raise the Donate Life flag in memory of their loved ones. Healthcare professionals, transplant recipients, donor families, and advocates stood side by side, reflecting on both the lives remembered and the lives forever changed through donation. Each year, we are reminded of the deep gratitude we hold for a community that continues to stand united in advancing the gift of life for as many people as possible.
Recognizing Donation Champions at 2026 Outlive Yourself Awards Ceremony
The STA Foundation hosted its 2026 Outlive Yourself Awards, recognizing outstanding individuals and partners whose commitment to organ donation continues to save and transform lives. The evening acknowledged both current and previous honorees and included a new award—called the Hero of Hope Award—celebrating frontline hospital staff who go above and beyond in supporting organ donation. Together, these awards reflect a different part of the donation journey—education, clinical care, partnership, and lived experience—but all are united by a shared commitment to the gift of life.
This year’s Hero of Hope recipients, Rachel Knight, RN at Medical City Denton, and Sarah Becak, BSN, RN at Driscoll Children’s Hospital, were recognized for their leadership, compassion, and unwavering dedication to supporting donor families and strengthening the donation process within their hospitals. The Outlive Yourself Awards also honored Oluwatobiloba Akinsanya for her exceptional student leadership and ability to expand donation awareness among her peers, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas for its impactful partnership resulting in 76 lifesaving transplants in 2025, and Dr. Phil Berry for his lifelong advocacy and inspiring legacy as a transplant recipient who continues to pay it forward and help others along their journey.
As 2026 Donate Life Month comes to a close, we are reminded that donation leaves a legacy through every family honored, every life saved, and every advocate who continues to move this mission forward. STA extends its deepest gratitude to our donor heroes, their families, award honorees, hospital partners, transplant recipients, and community members who came together throughout April to honor lives, celebrate legacies, and ensure that hope—and the gift of life—endures for generations to come.