Tag Archives: One More Day

One Woman’s Journey on the Donate Life Rose Parade Float

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Photos courtesy of Scott Weersing

Kate Taylor was our representative for the Donate Life float in the 2012 Rose Parade. We’re thrilled she wants to share with all of us her and her families experiences. Here’s what she wrote:

How do you find a word to sum up the experience of a lifetime? I’ll borrow the word my 5-year-old daughter, Ella, used…magical. On January 2, I was honored to represent tissue recipients as a float rider on the Donate Life Float – One More Day, in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA.

The entire five days were full of emotion. I met others like me, alive today because of the generosity of donor families and the commitment of organizations like Community Tissue Services. I met mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, who turned their biggest tragedy into life for others through their giving hearts.

Photos courtesy of Scott Weersing

The day of the parade was beautiful and the excitement was palpable. As I took my seat on the float in the breaking dawn, I was reminded of my donor, knowing this experience would not have happened, save their generosity. As I rode that day, the tears came easily. Some were tears of joy, others tears of sadness. As I watched those in the crowd look at our float, it was amazing to watch the transformation from smiles at the beauty of the float, to tears at the understanding of the float, back to smiles for the riders of the float.

There were many amazing floats at the Rose Parade that day, but dare I say there were none so meaningful as ours. My heartfelt thanks Community Tissue Services, for helping me to inspire others to Donate Life by registering as an organ and tissue donor and for giving me the opportunity to share this wonderful experience with my family.   

More photos from the parade are posted on our Facebook page. We are so pleased to join Kate on this part of her life’s journey. She is full of grace, hope and life. She inspires us all and poignantly illustrates how important our work truly is.

    2012 Rose Parade Wrapup

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    Did you see the Donate Life’s One More Day float? Did you see Kate? We couldn’t have asked for better weather for the 2012 Rose Parade this past Monday.

    Kate Taylor was our representative for the Donate Life float. We watched it and it was spectacular! All of the floats were amazing, but we’re a little biased and thought this one was one of the best. It seems the judges agreed as the float won the Judges’ Special Trophy for outstanding showmanship and dramatic impact.

    The photos and feedback we’ve received indicate this was an all-around success and fantastic experience for Kate. Kate is planning on writing a blog post on being a part of this and we’ll share it with you as soon as we have it.

    In the meantime, here’s a video snip-it from the parade with the Donate Life float featured. (Video credit goes to Gift of Life Donor Program–thank you!)

    So much hard work went into planning this float and then creating this float. Way to go, everyone on your winning efforts!

      2012 Donate Life Rose Parade Float: We’re On Board!

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      You might have come across Kate Taylor’s remarkable story on our FiftyLives Wall of Hope. With sponsorship from us and Cryolife, Kate, who lives in Trafalgar, Indiana, will be one of 28 riders on the 2012 Donate Life Rose Parade float in Pasadena, California. Here’s an excerpt from our official press release:

      At the age of 4, Taylor was diagnosed with aortic valve insufficiency and knew she would need a heart valve tissue transplant one day; but that day came sooner than she thought at the age of 22. Taylor stopped for a quarterly heart check-up and ended up enduring open heart surgery

      Tissue donation helped her live a full life

      Thanks to a transplanted aortic valve, Kate is alive and well. Kate wed the love of her life 29 days after surgery. She has gone on to study for her master’s degree, travel, work and enjoy life. She was able to carry a pregnancy and give birth to a beautiful, healthy daughter. “For this, and so much more, I am forever grateful to the family who chose to help another during their most terrible tragedy,” shared Taylor.

      Taylor and her family will head to Pasadena, Calif. on December 29 to help decorate the float and participate in activities to promote donation.  Taylor shares her story as a tissue recipient hoping to inspire others to register as organ, eye and tissue donors.  “I’m truly honored and very excited to be on the float and to help spread the message about donation in such a beautiful and meaningful way,” said Taylor.

      One More Day

      The theme of the Donate Life Float is “One More Day.” Through their life-changing experience, the families of organ, eye and tissue donors, living donors and recipients of life-saving transplants know intimately the preciousness of time. On January 2, 2012, transplant recipients, living donors, and family members of deceased donors will join together to honor the preciousness of “One More Day” on the ninth Donate Life Rose Parade float.

      Giant floral clocks will rise above 28 individuals whose participation as riders aboard Donate Life’s Rose Parade float will bring special meaning to “One More Day” and embody the nation’s most visible campaign to inspire people to save and heal lives as registered organ, eye, and tissue donors.

      All of us here at FiftyLives are so proud to be even a small part of this wonderful event. Be sure to tune in to watch and catch a glimpse of Kate in the 2012 Rose Parade on January 2, 8 a.m. (PST). Here’s a list of TV stations you can tune in to watch this live.