The Bemis Family Story
When their two year old son Matthew was declared brain dead his parents, Milton and Janet Bemis of Rising City Nebraska, didn't have much to discuss before deciding they wanted to donate his organs.
Young Matthew was at a lakeside BBQ when he wandered off and fell into a nearby lake. Despite massive efforts to save his life, Matthew later died at Childrens Hospital in Omaha, NE. The year was 1984.
At this same time, halfway across the county in Tucson AZ, a young mother and father prepared to make a public plea for a donor. Their one year old daughter, Lily, had been diagnosed with a benign liver tumor, and was days from death. The fluid build-up in little Lily's abdomen was so severe that her small body could no longer support it, and she was unable to breathe on her own. Lily weighed 25 pounds, 12 of which was her tumor filled liver.
Milt and Janet Bemis were aware of the severe shortage of donor organs and selflessly asked if donation would be possible. Due to their generosity, Lily got the life-saving organ she needed.
Shortly over a year later the two families were able to meet. "What a blessing it was to see someone so alive because of your child" said Milt Bemis. Matthew's was the first liver ever to be recovered from Nebraska for transplant. That was over 24 years ago.
Over the years, the two families have kept in contact and remained close, sharing birthdays, holidays, and graduations. Lily is now a healthy young woman, who has graduated from college. On 8-8-08, the 24 year anniversary of her transplant, Lily Mandel was married. Milt and Janet, along with their two daughters made the journey up to New York to share in this special event in Lily's life.
"We are just so excited to be a part of this event in her life" said the Bemis's. "Its bittersweet, because of course we will be thinking of our son Matthew, but we are just so happy to see Lily start this chapter in her life."
When the Bemis family returned to Nebraska they were approached by Nebraska Organ Recovery System, who in partnership with the UCLA Medical Center, where Lily's transplant took place, joined together to honor the donor family with a floragraph on this year's Donate Life Float in the Rose Parade.
The floragraphs are pictures made out of floral material and are designed to honor loved ones who have given the gift of life. The Bemis family traveled to Pasadena to help create Matthew's floragraph and the UCLA Medical Center sponsored Lily and her husband's trip to Pasadena to join the Bemis family as they honored Matthew. Lily and her husband Brian then returned to Pasadena to ring in the new year as Lily walked in Matthew's honor in the Rose Parade.