On Saturday 27 September, 20 family members and friends gathered at St Peter’s Hospital to honour loved ones who had passed away and given the gift of life through organ and tissue donation. The memorial took place toward the end of Organ Donation Week 2025 (22 - 28 September).
Attendees met around the special memory tree sculpture, receiving hand-written wooden leaves bearing the names of their loved ones. Families also had the chance to meet members of the medical teams who had been involved in their relatives’ care.
The event was supported by the Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals team, including passionate advocates of organ donation such as some of the Specialist nurses, ODC Chair, Judith Moore, Clinical Lead for Organ Donation Dr Pardeep Gill and Lead Chaplain Laurence Gamlen, as well as the Mayor of Runnymede, Cllr Margaret Harnden, and her Consort, Dennis Brown BEM.
Trust Chief Medical Officer, Dr Mark Roland also spoke to thank the families for their generosity and shared his own personal experience of organ donation within his family.
James, who joined to remember his wife Lisa said of the day “Thanks to everyone involved in organising this event and giving up time to be there. I really appreciated the opportunity to thank some of the people involved in the donor process – and maybe by extension all the people who enable the giving of extra life to others. It was a positive thing at a dark time, and an important part of thinking about Lisa, her life, and the way she interacted with people. She would so love that even though she was no longer here, her life was adding to the lives of others.”
Dr Gill highlighted that since 2018 Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals have overseen over 60 donors and over 130 transplants and tissue donations - a notable achievement. “As a trust we work hard to both facilitate and encourage organ and tissue donation. It’s a cause we are deeply committed to and will continue to champion. We cannot emphasise enough the importance of signing up to the organ donation register and discussing wishes with family members. Raising awareness and spreading this message is key - ultimately, it helps save and improve more lives.”
The teams at Ashford and St Peter’s are looking forward to holding this event biyearly to ensure families get the opportunity to come together to remember their loved ones.
Pictured above: Familes of organ donors joined by (L-R) Laurence Gamlen, Dr Mark Roland, Dr Pardeep Gill, ODC Chair, Judith Moore, Mayor of Runnymede, Cllr Margaret Harnden, and her Consort, Dennis Brown BEM, the Specialist nurses and Lisa and Joi Kaunde-Smith, CPE.
