PASADENA, Calif. — A six-year old Shawnee boy who died in a drowning accident a-year-and-a-half ago was honored at this year’s Rose Bowl Parade. A picture of Noah Davis was one of 81 faces featured on the “Donate Life” float meant to honor those who’ve donated their organs so that others might live.
“My son didn’t get to continue living but parts of him literally do,” said Noah’s mom Sara Davis.
She attended the 125 annual Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena with her 15-year old daughter Zoe. Davis says for her and her daughter to be at the parade with other families who have either given or benefitted from organ donation was emotional and healing.
“My daughter and I were just sobbing and just holding each other tight and I felt all these hands on my shoulders, patting my shoulders.”
Davis is proud that her son’s kidneys have helped two different adults. The Donate Life float featured more than 2,000 roses that formed 81 floragraphs, each an image of someone who in death gave life.
“My son, to see his face on that float was so beautiful,” said Davis.
The Donate Life float was titled “Light up the World” and it won Best Theme. The Theme for this year’s Rose Bowl was “Dreams Come True.”
“The message is so amazing. There was organ recipients riding on the float and then the living donors, who had donated kidney’s or portions of their liver were walking along and they walked the entire 5 miles,” said Davis.
The Shawnee mom says the decision to donate Noah’s organs was easy. She says it was the only good news she received in the hospital after he drowned. Davis said to see her son’s float pass in front of thousands of people along the parade route and millions more on TV was was proof to her, that even in death, her son’s love lives on.
“It’s exactly what he would’ve wanted. He had such a giving heart.”
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