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24 Americans Saved by Organ, Eye, Tissue and Blood Donation to Ride on the Donate Life Float in the 2008 Rose Parade® LOS ANGELES, Calif., Sept. 17, 2007 – They are of all ages and a rainbow of ethnic backgrounds. They live in the country’s biggest cities and smallest towns. And for all 24 of them, their lives would have been very different except for one thing: the generosity of others. They all lead productive lives today because someone donated the organs, eyes, tissue and blood they so desperately needed. These 24 people will show one million spectators, 40 million U.S. viewers and people in 150 other countries what it means to have received the gift of life as they ride the fifth Donate Life float entry, Life Takes Flight, in the 2008 Rose Parade to inspire others to commit to being donors. The 24 riders, selected by 18 sponsoring organizations across the country, have received collectively kidneys, hearts, lungs, livers, corneas, bone, ligaments, and blood. They will ride on a 30-foot high float carrying four hot air balloons symbolizing how their lives are lifted to new heights by the generosity of donors. “This is the first year that the Donate Life float riders are all transplant recipients,” confirmed Bryan Stewart, chairman of the float organizing committee and director of communications for OneLegacy, the non-profit, federally designated organ and tissue recovery agency serving the greater Los Angeles area. “We have one of our most ethnically and demographically diverse group of riders, who range in age from 15 to 63. Their stories of hardship, hope and renewal should inspire thousands of people who never considered donation of organs, eyes, tissue, or blood to do so. Donations have allowed each rider’s life to take flight, and their examples will give hope to others who wait desperately for the gift of life.” Five of the 24 riders are students. Others work in the arts, education, healthcare, landscape design, real estate, government, and entertainment. Two are retired from their professions, but work in their communities. They live in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Some have met the family members of those who gave the ultimate gift; others still wait for that opportunity. Each has a story to tell, including Jill Miller of Saegertown, Pa., who was 26 when her kidneys suddenly failed after an undiagnosed bout of strep throat. A donor’s kidney saved her life, which was threatened a year later by advanced breast cancer. As she says, the kidney “saved my life twice” because it allowed her to undergo chemotherapy and fight off the cancer. Almost a dozen years later, Miller is a physician providing medical care in an underserved community. Miller will ride with Tom Berryhill, the only elected official in the United States who is a heart transplant recipient. A fourth-generation California farmer, Berryhill serves in the California State Assembly representing the people of Modesto and advocating for donation. Another heart recipient, Alvin Grant of Albany, N.Y., was a college student when sudden cardiomyopathy put his life in immediate jeopardy. The gift of life from an organ donor meant that Grant could return to college with the prospect of becoming a graphic designer. Teenagers Sarah Lopez of Albuquerque, N.M., Indra Michaca of Moreno Valley, Calif., and D.J. Lampert of St. Louis, Mo. have never met, yet they have shared similar experiences: all are alive today because of liver transplants. Lopez received hers at age six from another six-year-old, Angel Marie Garcia. “Because they said yes to donation, I am alive today,” Lopez acknowledged gratefully. Lampert received his liver at only eight months of age, and he has dedicated his young life to “pass along my story, speaking from the heart” so that other students will understand the importance of donation. Nikki Cortez of Greeley, Colo. and Monica Montgomery of Shawnee, Kan. also have a common link. Acute lymphocytic leukemia forced Cortez to undergo masses of chemotherapy and corticosteroids, which severely weakened her bones. Bone grafts and an elbow transplant have allowed her to thrive. Similarly, Montgomery was rescued from a life of canes and crutches by a massive donor bone graft, including ligaments and cartilage, which saved a severely damaged leg broken in a simple neighborhood game of soccer. “Most of us live each day without thinking that our lives could change in a moment. For our riders, their lives changed instantaneously because someone else thought enough to share what was no longer needed,” Stewart noted. “The shortage in organs is only increasing, with nearly 100,000 people now on the national transplant waiting list. We can make a difference in the lives of people in our community if we commit to being organ, eye, tissue, and blood donors.” The riders on this year’s float will be surrounded by thousands of roses dedicated by individuals, families and organizations nationwide through the Family Circle Rose Dedication Program. Through the Family Circle program, donors, recipients and transplant candidates are honored with roses bearing personal messages of love, remembrance and gratitude. Some of those dedicating roses will make a pilgrimage to Pasadena to place their roses on the float in person. Roses can be dedicated through the official Donate Life float website, www.donatelifefloat.org. Dedicated roses from all 50 states and various countries amid this "festival of life" will bring special meaning to the parade’s theme, Passport to the World’s Celebrations. The float's four hot air balloons will carry 40 floragraphs – artistic portraits created with floral materials – of deceased donors from across the country. Accompanying the 30-foot-high float will be eight donor family members walking in memory of loved ones who helped others live. The Donate Life float walkers will be announced October 1, and the floragraph honorees will be revealed November. Coordinated by Donate Life America member OneLegacy, the Donate Life float is supported by more than 50 official partners from across the nation, including organ and tissue recovery organizations, transplant centers, non-profit and for-profit contributors, and transplant recipient organizations. Joining OneLegacy as top-level benefactors are Astellas Pharma US, Inc., sponsor of five float riders and the volunteer decorating team for a third consecutive year; the Family Circle Rose Dedication Program; and the National Donor Memorial and UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing). All float partners encourage parade viewers to become registered organ, eye and tissue donors in their states and donate blood in their communities. The 119th Rose Parade will take place Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2008 at 8 a.m. (PST) featuring majestic floral floats, high-stepping equestrian units and spirited marching bands from throughout the world. Following the Rose Parade, at 2 p.m. (PST), the 94th Rose Bowl Game will feature an exciting match-up between two championship teams, once again showcasing the best of collegiate football. For further information contact Rivian Bell, JDI Communications, (213) 612-4927 or Bryan Stewart, (213) 229-5650. |