Honoring tissue donor who gave the gift of sight

Riverside Community Hospital, in partnership with OneLegacy, hosted a Floragraph and Rose Dedication Ceremony to honor the life and legacy of Jenny Fedele-Fennell, whose cornea donation in 2017 restored sight to four individuals.

Peter Hemstead, chief executive officer of Riverside Community Hospital, and Javier Muñoz, director of health informatics at OneLegacy, joined hospital leadership, OneLegacy representatives and members of the Fedele-Fennell family to dedicate roses in recognition of those who have given the gift of life through organ, eye, and tissue donation. The dedicated rose vials will be filled with fresh roses and placed on the Dedication Garden of the 2026 OneLegacy Donate Life float later this month, honoring donors and celebrating the life-saving impact of donation.

“Every family who chooses organ or tissue donation makes a decision that is both difficult and profoundly generous,” Hemstead said in his remarks. “In the middle of loss, they offer someone else a chance at life or sight. There is no greater gift. Our team stands alongside these families with respect and steady support, honoring their courage and the lives forever changed by their choice.”

Local dignitaries in attendance included Lorena Husband, legislative assistant to Riverside County First District Supervisor Medina, and Gregory Santana Huerta, fellow in the Riverside Mayor’s Office. Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock-Dawson presented the Fedele-Fennell family with a certificate of recognition in honor of Jenny’s enduring legacy and generosity.

More than 20,000 Californians are currently waiting for life-saving organ transplants, and an average of 17 people in the United States die each day while waiting. A single donor can save up to eight lives through organ donation and heal up to 75 more through tissue donation.

The 2026 OneLegacy Donate Life float, Treasure Every Moment Together, will make its way down Colorado Boulevard on New Year’s Day as part of the iconic Rose Parade®, honoring donors, recipients, and the families whose generosity makes donation possible.