On Thanksgiving Day 2002, Laurie Wolowic’s brother Mike fell off a ladder and suffered a fatal head injury. Four recipients of six donated organs and several tissue recipients benefited from Mike’s gift of life. In 2005, Laurie founded the Family Circle Rose Dedication Program, which gives families and organizations the opportunity to honor those touched by organ and tissue donation by dedicating roses on the Donate Life Rose Parade float.

Laurie & Michael's Story

Mike Wolowic had a zest for life and a wide variety of interests. The eldest of 10 children, he loved motorcycles, fireworks, and flowers; he managed a florist in Buffalo Grove near his home on Lake Zurich, IL. Mike was also handy and loved working on the house he shared with his wife Patty.

On Thanksgiving Day 2002, some of his siblings were spending the holiday with their parents in Florida, while others were planning to have Thanksgiving dinner at Mike and Patty’s house. While working on the house that day, Mike fell off a ladder and hit his head on the driveway. He was rushed to the hospital and into brain surgery, but the prognosis was not favorable. His family rushed to be with him.

Mike’s sister Laurie Wolowic, now 42, was especially close to Mike. “He was always around when I needed him. I called him my ‘go to guy’,” she said. They had often worked together in his various endeavors, including the florist shop.

The day after his fall, Mike was pronounced brain dead, and the family donated his organs and tissue. His six-organ donation benefited two double recipients, a double lung recipient; a kidney and liver recipient, and several tissue recipients.

“My father, who is not easily impressed, was so complimentary about the care and treatment our family received from Gift of Hope in Chicago, that when I got home to Los Angeles I wanted to volunteer my time to organ and tissue donation,” said Laurie. She began volunteering with OneLegacy, the organ recovery agency, at the same time the first Donate Life float was accepted into the Tournament of Roses Parade.

“It seemed fitting to put my time and energy into this project, since I spent so many hours working side-by-side with my brother with the flowers in his shop,” Laurie noted. “After two years of working with donor families, I realized how meaningful the Donate Life float is and how many families need the opportunity to remember and honor their loved ones.”

In 2005, Laurie founded the Family Circle Rose Dedication Program, which gives families and organizations the opportunity to honor those touched by organ and tissue donation by dedicating a rose in the Family Circle Garden on the Donate Life float. Now in its third year, the Family Circle program has received dedications from all 50 states and countries around the world.