Honoring the gift of life: Organ donor heroes remembered across Central Florida

Hundreds of colorful pinwheels recently filled the lawn outside AdventHealth Orlando. Each one spinning gently in the breeze, represented a person who gave the gift of life through organ donation.

As part of National Donate Life Month observances, the display honored more than 200 Central Floridians who became organ donor heroes in 2025. At the same time, AdventHealth team members across the region stepped away from their daily routines to take part in campus walks, honoring all donor heroes and shining a light on the more than 100,000 people still waiting for a lifesaving transplant.

“Every year we set records for the number of transplants annually. Despite that, the waiting list grows,” said Dr. Bobby Nibhanupudy, an AdventHealth transplant surgeon and medical director of OurLegacy, Central Florida’s organ procurement organization. “So, the need for organs is still a lot higher than the organs and donors available. We need more people to register.”

“The best gift anyone can give is to be an organ donor."

That need is personal for Tribhawan and Jasmin Persaud. Their son, Anand, became a donor at 21, and his legacy continues through the lives he helped save.

“The best gift anyone can give is to be an organ donor, because you leave a lasting legacy not only for that individual, but for his friends and family,” said Tribhawan Persaud.

OurLegacy partners with hospitals and donor families to coordinate the organ donation process. Florida residents can sign up to be an organ donor at www.donatelifeflorida.org.

The AdventHealth Transplant Institute is Central Florida’s only solid-organ transplant program, and one of the most comprehensive in the nation. It offers advanced transplant care, supporting patients in body, mind, and spirit, during every step of their journey.