Colorado High School Student To Promote Tissue Donation In 2015 Rose Parade

CENTENNIAL, Colo., Dec. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Jake Doud, a high school senior from Firestone, CO, will join 29 other transplant recipients from around the country riding aboard the 12^th annual Donate Life float in the nationally televised Rose Parade on January 1 in Pasadena, CA. The 2015 Donate Life float, The Never-Ending Story, highlights the enduring power of organ, eye and tissue donation.

Doud received a bone and cartilage transplant in 2014 after suffering years of knee pain. His debilitating pain benched him from soccer, basketball and track. Doctors used donated bone and cartilage to replace his damaged tissue and realign the weight-bearing line in his leg. After his recovery time, Doud is healing and able to participate in many of his favorite athletic endeavors. He is profoundly grateful for the donated tissue that helped him heal and is excited for the opportunity to promote donation on a national scale.

AlloSource provided the allografts used in Doud's surgery and is sponsoring his participation in the Rose Parade. The company is one of the nation's largest providers of skin, bone and soft tissue allografts for use in surgical procedures, and the world's largest processor of cellular bone allografts.

"Jake's experience illustrates the healing possibilities of donated human tissue," said Thomas Cycyota, AlloSource president and CEO. "We are proud to send a representative from Colorado to the Rose Parade and we know Jake's story will help many people better understand the importance of tissue donation."

The 2015 Donate Life Rose Parade float will feature 60 butterflies emerging from an open book, representing the potential number of lives impacted by a single donor.  The float includes 72 floragraph portraits of deceased donors whose legacies live on through their loved ones. Thirty transplant recipients will ride the float and 12 living organ donors will walk alongside to demonstrate their ongoing strength. The float riders are seated throughout a dedication garden filled with thousands of roses bearing personal messages of love, hope and remembrance.

The Pasadena Tournament of Roses is a volunteer organization that annually hosts the Rose Parade presented by Honda, Rose Bowl Game^® presented by Northwestern Mutual and various associated events. The 126th Rose Parade presented by Honda, themed "Inspiring Stories," will take place Thursday, January 1, 2015, at 8 a.m. (PST) and features majestic floral floats, high-stepping equestrian units and spirited marching bands. For additional information on the Tournament of Roses, please visit www.tournamentofroses.com.

Coloradans can register their decisions to be organ, eye and tissue donors in the following ways:

• Online at DonateLifeColorado.org
• At the Driver's License Office the next time you obtain or renew your driver's license
• By calling 1-888-256-4386

About AlloSource
AlloSource is a non-profit company that offers more than 200 types of precise bone, skin, soft-tissue and custom-machined allografts for use in an array of life-saving and life-enhancing medical procedures. As the world's leader in fresh cartilage tissue used for joint repair and skin allografts to help heal severe burns, AlloSource has grown into one of the largest tissue networks in the country with more than 400 employees. It is the world's largest processor of cellular bone allografts and delivers unparalleled expertise and customer service to its growing network of surgeons, partners and the country's most reputable organ procurement organizations. As one of the leading innovators in maximizing tissue donation with the goal of offering optimal solutions for healthcare providers and their patients, AlloSource is recognized by the medical community for its ability to process and provide high quality tissue. The company is accredited by the American Association of Tissue Banks and is headquartered in Centennial, CO. For more information, please visit allosource.org or our educational website, allograftpossibilities.org.

Media Contact
Megan Duggan
AlloSource
720. 382. 2766
[email protected]

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/colorado-high-school-student-to-promote-tissue-donation-in-2015-rose-parade-300011280.html

SOURCE AlloSource