One exceptional community event in 2022 was our support of our hospital partner’s donor wall installation. Banner Health’s North Colorado Medical Center (NCMC) in Greeley, Colo. unveiled its new organ donor memorial wall in September, which was inspired by a selfless donor, Connor Gillmore, and his brave family.
Connor died as a result of a tragic car accident when he was just 22. He was transported to NCMC, where it was confirmed that he had registered to be an organ, eye and tissue donor. NCMC and Connor’s family held the hospital’s first honor walk: a ceremony that celebrates the heroic choice of donors to give the gift of life after death. Connor’s family and hospital staff lined the halls of NCMC to pay respect, and personal stories about Connor were shared in the operating room prior to the recovery surgery. Thanks to Connor’s gifts, five patients in need received lifesaving organ transplants and many more received lifesaving and healing tissue grafts.
Following Connor’s untimely death, his family found strength and solace in knowing that he had given the gift of life after death. The Gillmore family heard from several recipients of Connor’s organs and formed a close relationship with the recipient of Connor’s heart.
Celebrating Connor’s memory has been vital to the Gillmore family’s healing: remembering his amazing sense of humor, love for swimming, and how much he enjoyed building cars. The Gillmore family established an automotive scholarship in his name at Aims Community College, which has already been awarded to nearly 30 students. Another way the Gillmore family extended Connor’s legacy is by helping NCMC to establish the organ, eye and tissue donor memorial wall.
The installation, which was unveiled in 2022, features a 15-foot “tree of life” that honors the names of NCMC organ donors, starting with Connor. The memorial wall also includes an interactive video display from Donor Alliance, showing educational Information about donation, celebrating donors and giving patients and hospital staff at NCMC a way to register to become donors if they aren’t already.