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Float Celebrating Organ Donation To Be Featured In Tournament Of Roses Parade

SANTA CLARA (KPIX 5) -- On New Years Day, the annual Tournament of Roses Parade features beautiful floats, representing various businesses and service organizations. But one float may actually mean the difference between life and death.

Twice a week, Carolina Tejada packs a bag for the dialysis appointments that keep her alive. A cardiac condition as a young child resulted in two separate heart transplants and the anti-rejection medication has now ruined her kidneys. So once again, the Santa Clara wife and mother sits on a list waiting for a donor.

"For me, one more day is hope and living with happiness and being grateful," Carolina said. "That's what it means to live."

So each year, the Tournament of Roses Parade offers a symbol of hope for people like Carolina: a float celebrating organ donation and featuring actual transplant recipients. Janice Whaley is the CEO of Donor Network West, the Bay Area's transplant network group. She believes the float has the potential to actually save lives.

"Over 65 million viewers observe the Rose Parade," Whaley said, "and to see organ donation represented there, it's just really important. It shows people that it works because you see recipients that are living their second chance."

This year, one of the riders on the float will be 17-year old Khalieghya Dandie-Evans from Richmond. She got a liver transplant as a baby and grew up to be an accomplished student and

light in the darkness float
The 2020 "Light In The Darkness" float design that will be featured in the Tournament of Roses Parade. (Donate Life)

transplant activist. But Monday morning, in Pasadena, she was put to work in the annual mad-dash scramble to complete the year's float.

"I cut the flowers, put them in boxes and separate the colors," she said. "That was pretty fun. And we had to get up, like, really early for it…so, it was really nice."

The 2020 entry, entitled "Light in the Darkness," will not only be a celebration of the success of organ donation but a symbol of hope.

And as Carolina headed out to her dialysis, she hoped that by displaying that message to the public that it may convince someone to choose to donate and help those waiting for their gift of life.

"It has a beautiful meaning not only for patients like me," she said, "but it's hopeful for the future for many of us that are waiting for transplantation."

If you would like more information about organ donation, you are encouraged to contact Donor Network West. You can reach their website at www.donornetworkwest.org.

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