Transplant Patient Reunion Fair 2006

Education, Motivation and Celebration was this year’s theme of the second annual Avera Transplant Institute’s Patient Reunion Fair held September 23, 2006, on the Avera McKennan campus. 

Transplant physicians Robert Santella, Michael Morris and Kelly McCaul educated the fair-goers on the present and future of transplant at Avera McKennan.  Other Avera McKennan professionals were on hand to greet old friends and host booths that featured health screenings, nutrition tips, donor opportunities, and transplant information. 

A patient panel consisting of transplant recipients and their donors motivated the crowd with their own “reality shows,” describing the challenges and rewards of their individual journeys to life after transplant.

A beautiful testament to the selflessness of organ donation, the National Kidney Foundation’s National Donor Family Quilt, was displayed at the fair.  This handmade quilt, composed of eight-inch squares of fabric designed by family members of organ and tissue donors, is available for events such as the Avera Transplant Patient Reunion Fair, providing us with an appreciation of those who have saved or enhanced lives through donation. 

It was a true midwestern celebration, with patients hailing from such locations as Fargo, ND; Ashton, IA; Rapid City, SD; and New Prague, MN.   Avera McKennan Transplant Institute congratulates its transplant patients and donors on their continued good health and positive outlook on life, and thanks them for making this event so special.