To raise awareness of organ donation, Mayo Clinic now raises the Donate Life flag on its Rochester campuses when an organ donation occurs from a deceased donor. The flag honors donors and their families and brings attention to the gift of donation. The flag was first raised for Josephine, whose organs were donated after her death, bringing her family some comfort. When the flag flies, it signifies an ongoing organ donation process and encourages people to register as donors themselves.

1. 9/4/2014 Donate Life flag to fly on Rochester hospital campuses during organ donations
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Donate Life flag to fly on Rochester hospital campuses during organ
donations
Aug. 29, 2014 • RST
To acknowledge this lifesaving gift of organ donation, Mayo Clinic has introduced a new practice of raising the
Donate Life flag at the time of a deceased organ donation at Mayo Clinic Hospital — Rochester. This new practice
honors the donors and their families, and brings awareness of the extraordinary gifts of donation.
Anthony Boerner, whose wife Josephine passed away in June, can attest to the significance of the flag. Just months
after being put on the transplant waiting list for a heart, Josephine’s condition worsened. She knew the chance of
finding a donor was slim. After years of struggling with dilated cardiomyopathy, Josephine decided to discontinue
her care, fully aware that this decision would end her life.
“Josephine knew the pain of waiting for a donor. If she couldn’t receive a donation herself, she wanted to be that gift
of life to someone else,” says Anthony.
So, Josephine did just that, despite her complex medical history. In addition to donating her corneas, through a
practice called “donation after circulatory death,” she also was able to donate her kidneys to two other patients who
also were familiar with the anguish of waiting for a transplant. Josephine was one of the first donors at Mayo Clinic
for whom the Donate Life flag was raised in her honor. Honoring her bravery and spirit through the flag gave
Josephine’s loved ones some comfort and peace. “Raising the flag in honor of donors is a great thing. It signifies
the mark Josephine left on the world,” explains Anthony.
LifeSource is the nonprofit, federally designated organ procurement organization for the Upper Midwest. In
instances of deceased organ donation on campus, the LifeSource donation coordinator offers the family the flag-
raising, and a brief ceremony consisting of short speeches and words from a chaplain, if requested. The donor’s
family, friends and care team are invited to the ceremony, and the Donate Life flag flies until the donation process is
complete.
This ceremony raises public awareness of the importance of organ donation and encourages others to identify
themselves as donors.
“Few people know what the Donate Life flag stands for,” says Anthony. “It would be so much more meaningful if
every passerby knew what the flag represents.”
So, whenever you see Donate Life flags, either on Second Street in front of the Francis Building or at the main
entrance of the Eisenberg Building, it signifies a donation in process. Take a moment to pay respects to the donor
and his or her family for the gift of life.
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Thursday, September 4, 2014 - 8:51 a.m.
Mayo Clinic News Center

2. 9/4/2014 Donate Life flag to fly on Rochester hospital campuses during organ donations
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