Mother of Appleton Shooting Victim, Organ Recipient to Meet for First Time
There are more than 122,000 people on the national waiting list for an organ transplant; 2,200 of those people are in Wisconsin.
On Wed., June 11, the Donate Life flag will be raised at Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah to honor the lives of those people who have given the selfless gift of organ, tissue, and eye donation.
- Join us at 1 pm to hear Jackie Pische, the mother of Josh Richards, an Appleton shooting victim, and the recipient of her son’s heart tell their story. This will be the first time they meet. Jackie and her son’s recipient, Ben Adler, will meet in the Memorial Room at Theda Clark around 12:15, prior to the flag raising ceremony.
- Meet outside of the hospital main entrance lobby near the valet parking area and everyone will walk to the flag pole together.
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Refreshments will follow the ceremony in the Memorial Room. The state’s organ donation team will also give tokens of appreciation to Theda Clark staff for the compassionate care they provide donors and their families.
This will be the first time the Donate Life flag has been raised at Theda Clark Medical Center, the home to the area’s only Level II Trauma Center. In the future, the flag will fly daily to honor organ, tissue, and eye donors.
“When you see the flag flying, please take a moment to remember the grieving family and also the great gifts that are given to others through donation,” said Sue Broeren, RN in the Intensive Care Unit at Theda Clark and the coordinator of the organ procurement program for the hospital.
Fox Cities residents can all help reduce that number of those waiting for organs by becoming registered organ, tissue, and eye donors at www.YesIWillWisconsin.com.
ThedaCare™ is a community health system consisting of five hospitals: Appleton Medical Center, Theda Clark Medical Center, ThedaCare Medical Center-New London, Shawano Medical Center, and Riverside Medical Center in Waupaca. ThedaCare also includes ThedaCare Physicians, ThedaCare Behavioral Health, and ThedaCare at Home. ThedaCare is one of the largest employers in Northeast Wisconsin with more than 6,175 employees. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
