During this week, teams of transplant recipients, living donors and donor families usually deliver treats in person to transplant clinic staff. This year, we are taking a new direction in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and respecting public health guidelines for physical distancing and keeping our immunocompromised community safe and healthy.
Teams of dedicated BC Transplant volunteers have created Gratitude Gardens and placed them in community neighborhoods across the province. They have painted heartfelt messages of thanks, hope and inspiration on personalized rocks to show appreciation for their healthcare heroes. It is a small token of thanks for their hard work.
There are several Gratitude Garden locations across BC and you are invited to visit the garden closest to you. You are welcome to add your own rock creations, and grow the gardens!
- Vancouver (BC Children's Hospital - in the courtyard next to Starbucks)
- Vancouver (Vancouver General Hospital - on 12th Avenue next to the stairs going up to the main entrance)
- Vancouver (St. Paul's Hospital - big tree at the main front entrance on Burrard Street)
- North Vancouver (Carisbrooke Park on Osborne Road)
- Maple Ridge (Garden roundabout at 10452 Tamarack Crescent)
- Nanaimo (Kidney Care & Transplant Clinic on 1588 Boundary Crescent, cross street is Dufferin Crescent)
- Victoria (Beacon Hill Park - head to Dallas Road and look for the world's tallest freestanding totem pole, find the brick coloured crosswalk)
- Prince George (by the entrance of Prince George, under Mr. PG located at the junction of #97 HWY going north and south and #16 HWY going east and west)
- Trail (City of Trail - garden space), corner of McBride Street and 7th Ave, just off HWY 3B
We hope that anyone who walks by will be uplifted by these positive messages of thanks and spread kindness.
- 23 transplant clinics and care centres acknowledged across BC
- 13 transplant pharmacies acknowledged across BC
- 13 Gratitude Gardens created
- 50+ volunteers participating – recipients, living donors and donor families
- Transplant Heroes Week has been saying thank you for eight years
- Over 1.55 million people registered in the BC Organ Donor Registry
- 117 deceased donors
- 120 living kidney donors
- 480 transplants performed
- 800+ people waiting for life-saving transplants in BC
- 8,655 transplants performed in BC since 1968
