Hospital gives 'honor walk' tribute to family of organ donating teen

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Tuesday, May 14, 2019
Hospital gives honor walk tribute to family of organ donating teen
The family says they will find some comfort in the fact that Mason will save the lives of others.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WPVI) -- The hospital staff at the Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, Indiana, made a touching tribute to the family of a teen whose organs were donated after he was seriously injured while performing the social media "choking" challenge.

The "honor walk" took place on Monday, May 6, with several members of the hospital staff wheeling Mason Bogard's through a throng of other staff members, family and friends, as seen in the video shared via Storyful.

According to the boy's mother, Joann Jackson Bogard, Mason tried to choke himself "to the point of almost passing out" after viewing a video on social media. The hospital staff was unsuccessful in trying to bring him back. The family then made the decision to consider organ donation.

"While we are devastated that we will never experience so many things with Mason again, we are able to find some comfort in the fact that Mason will save the lives of others," Joann wrote on Facebook.

The video, shot by an Indiana Donor Network representative for the family, was shared on Facebook with the caption: "Our hero saved 5 lives!" Joann also added that the hospital raised a "donor flag" in Mason's honor for three days.

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