A moving video showed a beloved children’s nurse receiving a guard of honor from her colleagues after she was taken off life support and wheeled away for organ donation surgery.
Patrice Sanders, 58, died Thursday, with distraught family members and colleagues lining the hallways of Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno as her body was taken to an operating room.
His sister Paige cried as she walked down the hallway behind the hospital bed.
“It’s really touching to see all the people she’s touched and meant so much to,” he said. ABC 13.
Patrice was first diagnosed with gastroenteritis, before doctors determined he had suffered a bilateral stroke. Her health continued to worsen.
Hospital staff formed an honor guard to pay tribute to beloved children’s nurse Patrice Sanders in California, who died after suffering a stroke.
Her sister Paige (right) cried as she walked down the hallway behind the hospital bed.
Her family has shared devastatingly sad images of Patrice’s farewell in the hope of encouraging others to sign up for organ donation.
Nurses were seen crying while others squeezed her hand as their beloved colleague made her final journey.
Her family followed closely and was visibly distraught over the death of their loved one.
Patrice, who was a nurse at Valley Children’s Hospital for 36 years, recently called her sister to tell her she wasn’t feeling well.
She then underwent tests and was diagnosed with gastroenteritis, but continued to feel sick.
Her family took her back to the hospital, where doctors discovered she had suffered a bilateral stroke.
“We had a meeting with the surgeon who told us that his likely outcome was not going to be favorable, that he would have a lot of disabilities,” Paige said.
Patrice made a series of end-of-life requests, including donating his organs, and his family wanted to honor them.
Patrice Sanders was being wheeled into surgery to donate her organs Thursday when workers rose to pay their respects at Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno.
Nurses were seen crying while others squeezed her hand as she was taken to an organ donation surgery.
Patrice made a number of end-of-life requests, including donating his organs, and his family wanted to honor this.
‘She saw many children die at Valley’s Children’s during her time there as a registered nurse. “She always had great respect for the children who donated their organs and I think that example was an inspiration to her,” Paige added.
Jaclyn Manzanedo, who works at Donor Network West, said about 22,000 people in California are waiting for an organ transplant.
“Giving the gift of life seems like it was in line with what she did throughout her life,” he said.
“It is a beautiful way to leave that legacy that he left both during his life and after his death.”
Patrice’s family is celebrating the life she led and will remember the love she frequently showed toward others.
“She loved very much, was very loved and continues to love others that she doesn’t even know,” her sister Paige said.