New memorial to honor lifesaving legacies of Indiana organ & tissue donors

Development is underway for a new memorial to honor, remember, and show gratitude for Indiana’s organ and tissue donors.

Since 1987, Indiana Donor Network, a non-profit organization federally designated to recover donated organs and tissues in Indiana for transplantation throughout the U.S., has facilitated lifesaving gifts from more than 25,000 Hoosiers.

To honor them and celebrate the 1.3 million lives they have saved and healed through donation, the new memorial is being installed at the Indianapolis headquarters of Indiana Donor Network.

Conceptualized by Boston-based Trivium Interactive and designed and built by Indianapolis artist Quincy Owens, the Donor Memorial will span the first-floor lobby and the adjoining four-story atrium of Indiana Donor Network, located at 3750 Guion Road. The contemplative space will be an immersive experience featuring touchscreen interactive kiosks, responsive lighting and sound, and a wall of digital displays embedded behind a scrim with integrated wall graphics.

The centerpiece of the space is a four-story Tree of Life, standing as a symbol of resilience, growth and interconnectedness. Donor heroes will be symbolized by the tree structure and organ and tissue recipients will be symbolized by 83 lighted lanterns, an indication of how many lives can be saved and healed by a single donor.

Names, personalized narratives and tributes and photographs submitted by the families of organ and tissue donors will be input into the memorial’s audio/visual system and displayed on digital screens within the space. With the upload of a donor’s profile, the Tree of Life will dynamically change in color, symbolizing the legacy of each donor hero. Each family will be surrounded by the changing lights of the lanterns, while their loved one’s tribute is displayed and the soft sounds of nature and music fill the space.

Additionally, an interactive website is being developed that will mirror the Donor Memorial kiosk experience. The goal is to provide families and friends of Indiana donor heroes from throughout the world the opportunity to memorialize their loved ones through a virtual experience.

“With this memorial, we honor Hoosier donors who chose to give a selfless gift in their last moments that went on to impact, heal and save others’ lives,” Indiana Donor Network President and CEO Kellie Tremain said. “For that, they will never be forgotten and will always be heroes. This permanent space will serve as a sanctuary of remembrance, tribute and reflection for their families for years to come.”

Construction is expected to conclude in December. Initial funding for the project is being provided by Indiana Donor Network and Indiana Donor Network Foundation. The organization is looking for future financial support from others, including corporate and community partners, families of organ and tissue donors, and transplant recipients.

“The Donor Memorial will eventually allow us to honor all Indiana donor heroes – those who saved lives in the past and those who will in the future,” Tremain said.

Many families develop an ongoing relationship with Indiana Donor Network following their loved ones’ donations, which often extend over several years. Families have expressed that this connection with the organization helps them feel their loved one is not forgotten and that their legacies live on, through the recipients they were able to help and through remembrance opportunities.

“The Donor Memorial will not just be a physical structure. It will live as a testament to the power of human connection, empathy and the enduring impact of generosity through organ and tissue donation,” Tremain said. “We want donor families to experience the Tree of Life and have an unforgettable and special experience reflecting on the generosity of their loved one, the implications of their lifesaving gifts and the lives saved because of their selfless decision.”