Rose Parade spotlights need for organ donation

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Photo: The 2013 Donate Life float, fronted by former Angels infielder David Eckstein and his brother, Washington Nationals hitting coach Rick Eckstein. Four members of the Eckstein family have kidney disease; Rick donated one of his kidneys to brother Ken and David plans to donate a kidney to sister Susan. Photo Courtesy of Donate Life

Donate Lifeâ€"a non-profit alliance of organizations committed to increasing organ, eye and tissue donationâ€"rang in the New Year by celebrating its 10th appearance in the Rose Parade in Pasadena.

“What the float has allowed us to do is normalize the conversation about donation,” said Elena de la Cruz, spokesperson for the Donate Life float. “It’s not a comfortable conversation, talking about our mortality, but this has allowed us to enter millions of households through television.”

An estimated 1 million spectators watched the Rose Parade in person. Those who tuned in to the parade saw Donate Life’s “Journeys of the Heart” float, which featured “floragraph” portraits of 72 organ, eye and tissue donors displayed along the float’s heart-shaped path. The float’s 32 riders included transplant recipients, living donors and family members of donors.

“The float gives us the chance to share incredible stories with the world,” de la Cruz said. “It has become the most public display about donation in the United States.”

One of the float’s riders was Kevin Riepl, who had a heart transplant in July 2011 after suffering from sudden heart failure in October 2010. Riepl, age 38, represented Cedars-Sinai’s Comprehensive Transplant Center, where he received his treatment.

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