A Rose Parade Float that Blossoms Life

[Guest guest]

Speaking

of " miracles, " there is one Rose Parade creation that truly typifies

this wonder. It is the Donate Life float, which

represents millions of people who've been touched by organ and tissue donation

- including donor families, living donors, transplant recipients

and transplant candidates. When you

watch the 2007 Rose Parade, please pay special attention to this float. Not only will it be an awesome salute to life and the

human spirit; it also contains some very special Santa Clarita Valley cargo. Among the 23 riders will be Karzin,

a man I am honored to say I know, as I have interviewed him and members of his

family over the last six years. A

45-year-old Valencia

dad who works as director of safety and risk management for the Saugus

Union School District,

donated part of his liver to his mother-in-law, Sharon Dziubala, in 2003. By so doing, he

saved Sharon from terminal liver

disease and gave her a second chance at seeing her eight grandchildren grow up.

Also

among the 23 riders:

Fannie

Brown of New York,

who lost her 21-year-old son to a drunk driver. Eight

people directly benefited from her son's donated organs.

Tyson Wood, 19, of Placerville, who

donated one of his kidneys to his 17-year-old sister - who had been a heart

transplant recipient as an infant.

a

Rangel-Bez of Arleta who lost her 9-year-old son,

ie, from a brain aneurysm. As a result of his

organs being donated, five children thrive today.

Ling of West Covina,

who lost her daughter, Jasmine, 19, due to a stray bullet in a drive-by

shooting. Knowing Jasmine was pro-organ donation,

saw to it that her child's death resulted in others' survival.

Now in

its fourth year, the Donate Life float's 2007 theme is " Giving from the

Heart " - and that's precisely what every rider has done.

Each has donated organs, tissue or blood so that others might live. Some have lost loved ones but looked beyond their grief to

help strangers; some, like , can witness the vital achievements of their

donations while they are alive.

http://www.the-signal.com/?module=displaystory & story_id=45277 & format=html

[Guest guest]

One of the Christmas gifts that I've given to my wife Lori the last

two years is a contribution in her name to the Donate Life Float

organization (www.donatelifefloat.org). For this, she gets a rose in

the " Family Circle " section of the float in her honor, a set of pins,

certificate, etc. When they disassemble the float, Lori will also

receive a jar of petals from the float. Last year, one of my uncles

who lives near San Diego went to Pasadena and placed the rose in

Lori's name on the float. He said it was the experience of a lifetime

meeting recipients, donors, and donor families who were part of the

float. This year, they also offered tshirt for sale with the Donate

Life Float logo on the front and the Donate Life logo on the back.

McInerney

Naperville, IL

>

> Speaking of " miracles, " there is one Rose Parade creation that truly

> typifies this wonder. It is the Donate Life float, which represents

> millions of people who've been touched by organ and tissue donation -

> including donor families, living donors, transplant recipients and

[Guest guest]

How do you donate? Are the tee shirts still available? Marti wrote: One of the Christmas gifts that I've given to my wife Lori the lasttwo years is a contribution in her name to the Donate Life Floatorganization (www.donatelifefloat.org). For this, she gets a rose inthe "Family Circle" section of the float in her honor, a set of pins,certificate, etc. When they disassemble the float, Lori will alsoreceive a jar of petals from the float. Last year, one

of my uncleswho lives near San Diego went to Pasadena and placed the rose inLori's name on the float. He said it was the experience of a lifetimemeeting recipients, donors, and donor families who were part of thefloat. This year, they also offered tshirt for sale with the DonateLife Float logo on the front and the Donate Life logo on the back. McInerneyNaperville, IL>> Speaking of "miracles," there is one Rose Parade creation that truly> typifies this wonder. It is the Donate Life float, which represents> millions of people who've been touched by organ and tissue donation -> including donor families, living donors, transplant recipients and __________________________________________________