IIAM Joins The 2017 Donate Life Rose Parade® Float
Sponsors floragraph honoring neonatal donor Ourania Brennan of Binghamton, NY
EDISON, N.J., Nov. 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Institute for the Advancement of Medicine (IIAM) announced today that it is sponsoring a floragraph of one of their youngest donors, Ourania Barbara Brennan of Binghamton, NY on the 2017 Donate Life Parade Float.
In January of 2013, Alison and Dan Brennan learned that their unborn daughter had a terminal neural tube defect called anencephaly, which results in the failure of the brain, skull and scalp to develop. Knowing that Ourania would not survive, Dan, Alison and older sister Calliope, decided that donating her organs and tissue for research would be the best way to honor Ourania's brief life while helping others. Ourania was born on June 17, 2013 and became an organ and tissue donor four days later.
"We're so grateful to the team at Lourdes Memorial Hospital in Binghamton, the Center for Donation and Transplantation (CDT) and to IIAM for supporting us and turning a trauma into a beautiful experience — enabling our daughter to 'live on,'" said Alison Brennan.
"We are delighted to sponsor Ourania's floragraph on this year's Donate Life Float and to highlight the incredible gift of organ, eye and tissue donation for research as well as transplantation," said Gina Dunne Smith, Executive Director of IIAM. "Honoring the Brennan's deep desire to add another layer of meaning to Ourania's brief life was important to our entire team, as well as the team from CDT, the organ procurement organization that coordinated her donation. The sense of teamwork extended to researchers from New York to Tennessee who received her gifts."
"Ourania's gifts allowed researchers to expand their knowledge of Type I Diabetes, pulmonary airway disorders resulting from premature births and identifying alternatives to whole organ transplant for liver disease. Additionally, research on glaucoma, retinal disease, eye complications of diabetes and other sight disorders were made possible through the Lion's Eye Bank at Albany," said Smith.
Smith noted that each year, IIAM places over 1300 organs with researchers throughout the United States and abroad. IIAM's Neonatal Donor Program alone has provided over 200 organs and tissue from 65 donors.
Finishing touches on Ourania's floral portrait will be made by her family on November 30 at Lourdes Memorial Hospital in Binghamton, NY.
About IIAM
A non-profit organization, IIAM is a world-leading provider of healthy and diseased donated human organs and tissues for medical research, education and therapy. Partnering with every organ procurement organization in the U.S., IIAM links organ and tissue donation with medical discovery. Through this, IIAM collectively honors the gift of donors and their families to leave a legacy for their loved ones and change the lives of others. Visit our website at www.iiam.org.
Contact: Anne Burns
609-375-2270
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161121/441775
SOURCE IIAM
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