Methodist Hospital Celebrates Tissue Donor's Floral Portrait To Be Displayed on 2018 Donate Life Rose Parade^® Float

USC Arcadia Hospital and One Legacy staff honor the late Jun Dizon, a tissue donor, during a special Donate Life rose dedication ceremony at the hospital. Jun was the husband of 36-year hospital employee Tessie Dizon.

Tessie Dizon, right, displays the floral portrait of her late husband, Jun Dizon, with the help of their daughter Mary Ellen.

Arcadia, California (December 8, 2017) – USC Arcadia Hospital of Southern California honored the late Pablo Dizon, a tissue donor, during a special Donate Life rose dedication ceremony at the hospital today in an effort to raise awareness in the community for organ, eye and tissue donation. Mr. Dizon, better known to friends as Jun, was the husband of 36-year hospital employee Tessie Dizon.

Jun will be recognized through a floral portrait to be featured on the One Legacy Rose Parade float on Jan. 1, 2018. He was a 46-year-old accountant, father and husband who died suddenly of a brain aneurysm in 1993 and, in accordance with his wishes, became a tissue donor. Tessie carried on his legacy while serving as a nurse at USC Arcadia Hospital by providing education to staff on the organ donation process. Her tenure with the hospital included a 13-year term as the manager of the Critical Care Unit at the hospital. She retired in 2016.

“Tessie gave so much of herself to the cause of organ donation,” said Alisa Rock, Director of the Cardiovascular Service Line and Clinical Research at USC Arcadia Hospital. “She’s been very involved both personally and professionally with this cause. Though many of us have not been through the organ donation process with a loved one, Tessie has been able to share with all of our team what this is like, which has made a huge impact on all of us. She has a grace about her that we all recognize and sincerely appreciate.”

During 2017, One Legacy reports that organ donations from patients cared for at USC Arcadia Hospital helped save 13 lives, with another 2,500 donor recipients receiving needed tissue and corneal transplants.

“We are absolutely proud to be part of the process of helping give life to others in our community,” said Dan F. Ausman, President and CEO, USC Arcadia Hospital. “We applaud the efforts of our physicians, nurses and our entire hospital team. This is a great honor for our hospital to be recognized by One Legacy for these efforts.”

During the event, hospital leadership and staff as well as the One Legacy team honored the Dizon with a dedicated rose. These individually dedicated rose vials, as well as Jun’s floragraph image, will be featured on the Donate Life Rose Parade Float. Tessie and her daughter, Mary Ellen, completed decorating Jun’s floragraph during the ceremony. Even in retirement, Tessie continues to promote the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation.

“On behalf of my family, I am deeply honored and humbled by this experience,” Tessie said. “I’ve always felt that one of my greatest accomplishments during my career was making our hospital staff aware of the process of organ donation and the difference it can make in people’s lives.”

About USC Arcadia Hospital: Founded in 1903, USC Arcadia Hospital is a full-service community hospital with 348 licensed beds. The hospital offers advanced cardiovascular services including cardiac catheterization, electrophysiology, and open heart surgery. Los Angeles County has designated USC Arcadia Hospital as both a heart attack and stroke receiving center as well an Emergency Department Approved for Pediatrics. The hospital also offers a variety of services in orthopedics, neurosurgery, obstetrics, and many other medical specialties. More than 50,000 patients are treated annually in the Emergency Department, while the hospital typically has more than 16,000 patient admissions each year.