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On Sunday, April 25, UVA Transplant team members and volunteers installed over 1,000 pinwheels and butterflies in a Pinwheel Garden in front of the West Complex.

A sign in the garden explains it's purpose:

April is National Donate Life Month.

This colorful display of pinwheels and butterflies represents the many lives touched by organ donation and transplantation. Our symbolic garden is a space for the community to come together to honor those who made the compassionate decision to give the gift of life and celebrate those who have received a second chance.

Each pinwheel has four sails supported by one stem, symbolizing the power one person has to save lives as an organ, eye, tissue, and living donor. Pinwheels remind us that we all have the potential to capture and pass on life, comfort, and hope to others by registering as an organ donor.

The butterflies symbolize change, new life, and hope for our donors, transplant recipients, and their families.

Stop by to feel the breeze, watch the pinwheels and butterflies, and feel the energy and transformative power of organ donation and transplantation.

Register as a donor this April at DonateLifeVirginia.org.

The garden will be available to visit through Saturday, May 1. Check out photos of the installation below.