SALT LAKE CITY — At the Celebration of Life Monument in Salt Lake City, many gathered to honor their loved ones who donated their organs — giving the gift of life to others.
“It’s all about community, you know,” said Diana Miron Valadez, aftercare coordinator with DonorConnect. “Sometimes when we’re grieving and we lost our loved one, we feel, you know, it’s it’s lonely.”
Valadez said the gathering was held in connection with Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead — an important cultural event that honors the memory of loved ones who have passed.
“So we are at the Celebration of Life Monument here in Salt Lake City, Utah,” she said. “In Aztec tradition, we believe that our loved ones never really leave. That they're here with us.”
“For Día de los Muertos is very special because we set up an ofrenda to honor them,” Valadez said. “And in the ofrendas, we put a photo of our loved ones, mementos, items that they enjoyed when they were alive.”
Valadez said being able to share her heritage through her work makes this celebration even more meaningful.
“I'm a proud Mexican and I love the traditions of my culture, and so being able to incorporate um this type of event, I'm very proud of,” she said.
As an aftercare coordinator with DonorConnect, Valadez works closely with families who have lost loved ones who became organ donors.
“I work closely with families that have lost their loved ones, um and so bringing them together, seeing them in person just makes that connection even deeper and stronger,” she said.
Each of the families attending has lost someone — someone who gave the gift of life to others.
Families like Jady Tippets and Marley Bramble, who attended to honor their daughter Jaydra.
“Our story is our story is right here, Jaydra,” Tippets said. “Jaydra passed away, it'll be three years this Valentine's Day. It was unexpected. She was…she was in a coma for three, four days.”
“It was an in unison answer, like yes, this is what we're going to do,” Tippets said. “This is what she would have wanted to do. Jaydra was a very caring and giving person.”
“She wants that. She gets to be honored by anybody who walks by her,” Bramble said.
Valadez said the gathering helps families connect and support one another through shared experience.
“They've connected through their grief, and it's like a huge support system,” she said.
By honoring their loved ones, Valadez said, families help keep their memories alive.
“By remembering them, you keep them alive,” she said.
“It’s an incredible way to honor her and not forget her,” Tippets said.