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Kris Cultice and Ruth Ann Mylin now have an extended family.
Cultice and Mylin lost a loved one just a few months ago.
Don Mylin, Cultice's father and Ruth Ann's husband, died unexpectedly of a heart attack.
Cultice of Warsaw, and Mylin, of North Manchester, were recently selected to attend a four-day national memorial service in Washington, D.C., on behalf of Don Mylin.
"It was just so incredibly awesome," Cultice said of the trip. "We were treated with the utmost respect by everyone attending the memorial service."
The trip was spurred on by the family's decision to donate Don's tissues to the Red Cross.
Cultice said for every tissue the doctors take out, they put a plastic prosthesis back in.
"They treat the donors with such respect," Cultice said. "They treat it like a life surgery."
The delicacy and respect with the surgery gave Cultice and her mother peace of mind and comfort to know that "Dad was treated with compassion."
The extended family Cultice and Mylin now share were merely strangers less than one month ago.
"We shared tears and tissues, but we also shared smiles and laughs," Cultice said.
Cultice and Mylin shared these emotions with strangers. It was an "incredible feeling," she said.
"Everything that we were feeling was validated because other families had gone through it, too," Cultice said. "We have a whole new family now that is close to our hearts. We're making plans right now to keep in touch with other families."
Cultice said everybody they met at the memorial service was very sincere.
"We were embraced with hugs and sympathy and it's something that's made us very passionate about tissue donation," she said.
"We can call them anytime," she said of the families, "to see how they've coped and where they are now."
"Family and friends have been wonderful also," Cultice said.
While at the memorial service, Cultice and Mylin attended a recognition dinner with 300 people in attendance. They also participated in several grief workshops, a candlelight service and a quilt-pinning ceremony.
"It was all so touching because you could relate to these people and the symbolism," Cultice said. "It was extremely emotional."
She said everyone there was very supportive.
"It was very touching," Cultice said.
Bereavement counseling was also available 24 hours a day for those in attendance.
Cultice said it was comforting to know that the counselors were available for assistance at any time.
Cultice and Mylin were presented with a certificate of appreciation for "the compassionate humanitarianism demonstrated through the gift of tissue donation."
"This plaque in itself is very impressive," Cultice said. "It was very humbling to be given something like that."
