Donor Memorial Monument
Adding a heartfelt touch to our location, a 12-foot bronze sculpture stands as a tribute to organ and tissue donors and their families.
Commissioned by Mid-America Transplant in 2004 and dedicated in 2009, this piece by St. Louis artist Don Wiegand was inspired by a photograph from a 2005 candlelight ceremony. The bas-relief sculpture depicts 12 individuals raising lit candles, symbolizing the generosity and selflessness of donors and their families.
Known as the Donor Memorial Monument, it is mounted on stone within a dedicated plaza at Highlands Park. The sculpture is encircled by a tranquil fountain in a tree-lined garden near our main office. An inscription reads, “Honoring organ and tissue donors for the Gift of Life they gave to others,” with nearby words like Love, Hope, Courage, Life, and Heroes embodying the spirit of donation.
The outstretched hands reaching upward holding candles acknowledge the lives of all those who gave the gift of life to so many.
Don Wiegand, Artist
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Dedicated in 2024 to honor the donor heroes in southeast Missouri and southern Illinois, this monument is on the Riverfront Campus of SEMO, overlooking the Mississippi River. The benches surrounding the art are curated from the original steps of a historic campus building.
410 S. Fountain Street, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
Jonesboro, Arkansas
Dedicated in 2021 to honor donor heroes in northeast Arkansas, this sculpture is located in the Prayer Garden at St. Bernards Medical Center.
225 E. Washington Avenue, Jonesboro, AR 72401
Family House
Dedicated in 2022, this memorial is located in the memorial garden at the Family House in the Dogtown neighborhood of St. Louis. The wall art is a replica of the Donor Medal provided to donor families to recognize their loved one who selflessly gave the gift of life.
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How Do You Give Thanks for the Gift of Life? Start here.
