Jacqueline Ocampo and her family took pictures of the bronze sculpture of a bamboo tree and focused in on one leaf that reads "Salomon Ocampo Ramirez."
"We loved him a lot," she said about her uncle. "It's really hard. Brings back a lot of memories and it's really hard for our family."
Ocampo Ramirez died in 2006 after suffering a stroke at the age of 42. It's their first trip back to Hoag since then.
They joined more than 20 other families for the unveiling of the memorial.
"The 'Tree of Life' is an expression of gratitude and admiration that I and my colleagues at Hoag feel for donors and their families," said Dr. Rosemary O'Meeghan, the chair of Hoag's Critical Care Department.
Each leaf represents a person who died and donated their organs. Ocampo Ramirez helped save four people.
The non-profit group, OneLegacy says one organ donor can save up to eight lives. One tissue donor can save or heal up to 50 others.
