Gift of Life Transplant House celebrating Thanksgiving differently

Gift of Life made sure guests could still celebrate Thanksgiving so it purchased individually packaged meals from a local caterer.

Able to connect with not everyone can stay home over thanksgiving... like people staying at gift of life transplant house in rochester waiting for or recovering from a life?

"* saving organ donation or transplant.

Transplant patients are vulnerable to complications from covid?

"*19*- so they need to be protected.

Kimt news 3's annalise johnson shows us how holiday celebrations at the transplant house are making patients feel at home while keeping them safe.

Xxx im here at gift of life transplant house in rochester.

I've been here on thanksgiving days of past years and its usually a lively, joyful experience but this year, gift of life transplant house is pretty quiet.

"happy thanksgiving to everybody out there" "happy thanksgiving!"

This is what a typical thanksgiving day looks like at gift of life transplant house ?

"(before the pandemic... big tables of food donated by local vendors served buffet?

"* style ?

"* and guests surrounded by friends and family.

"this year is a very very different year, but we were determiend to make thanksgiving special."

Right now ?

"* visitors are not allowed inside the house ?

"* in order to protect patients and staff.

But gift of life wanted to make sure guests could still celebrate this year ?

"* o it purchased individually packaged meals from a local caterer.

This way ?

"* patients don't need to wait in a line for food and can social distance while they eat.

"its going to be very quiet, as opposed to the wonderful, all kinds of aromas and smells that we have had in the past but we're willing to do it because we want to keep everyone safe."

If it's safe to do so next year ?

"* gift of life would love to return to its old traditions.

Every year, the gift of life transplant house tends to see a little drop in the number of people staying here over the holiday season however this year, however this year, those numbers are down just a little bit more because of the uptick in covid?

"*19 cases across the midwest.

In rochester annalise johnson kimt news 3.

Families staying at the ronald mcdonald house while their children receive medical care are also celebrating differently.

Normally ?

"* volunteers serve a dinner but visitors aren't allowed right now.

Instead ?

"* a donor is providing a catered meal in memory of a