Pinwheels Adorned Avalon to Celebrate the Gift of Life through Organ Donation

Pinwheels, bubbles and colorful artwork brought life to Absolutely Avalon in April, celebrating life made possible through organ, eye and tissue donation. Avalon Park Innovator Award winner, Evolution Medical Technologies, partnered with Donate Life Florida to salute the community for registering as donors and recognize those in our community who have passed and saved lives through organ donation.

The community partnership recognized heroes who made life possible through donation with a special memorial pinwheel garden. A pinwheel’s ability to capture and pass on energy reminds the community of the power everyone has to pass on life through organ, eye and tissue donation. The Avalon Park Donate Life Pinwheel Garden honored the 230 Central Floridians who passed and saved lives through organ donation in 2021. Thanks to the generosity of those donors and their families, 719 vital organs were donated for lifesaving transplants—saving lives in Florida and across the United States.

During the event, the community was offered education and invited to make the lifesaving decision to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor. Inspired by the pinwheel garden, four Avalon community members registered. Countless more community members shared how donation impacted their life. The pinwheel garden helped foster conversation about donation, and the importance of registering and talking to your family about your personal decision.

Today, more than 100,000 Americans are awaiting a lifesaving organ transplant. Each day, 17 people die awaiting a lifesaving donation. Kidney and pancreas recipient, Stan Barriga, knows what it was like to wait.

“Around 30-years-old I was getting sicker and sicker because I had problems managing my diabetes. I was undergoing four treatments of dialysis a day and my doctor said I would need a transplant soon. As I received my dialysis treatments, I would make friends and then the next week I would not see them. I would later find that they had passed away, and I thought that what was going to happen to me,” said Stan.

After receiving his lifesaving organ transplant, Stan honors his donor hero by educating the community on the importance of registering and the potential one person has to save lives. Post transplant, Stan went on to get married and have twin children, one he named, Patrick, after his organ donor.

“It was 13 years ago I was preparing for death. Now, I am so grateful for 13 years of life. Thirteen years of being a dad, a husband and what’s happening tomorrow,” said Stan.

If you are interested in registering as a lifesaving organ, eye and tissue donor you can do so when renewing your driver license or online at DonateLifeFlorida.org.

On behalf of Donate Life Florida and Evolution Medical Technologies, we would like to thank the Avalon Park Community for welcoming us and look forward to future events within the community.