Diamond Bar Family Decorates Floragraph of Mother, Grandmother For Rose Float

On Saturday, Dec. 6, the Lo family of Diamond Bar honored their mother and grandmother, organ donor Sandy Lo, when they decorated her floragraph (memorial floral portrait) -- part of the 2015 Donate Life Rose Parade float, “The Never-Ending Story,” in Pasadena.

Since its debut on New Year’s Day 2004, the Donate Life Rose Parade Float has served as a memorial to organ and tissue donors and a platform for donor families, living donors and transplant recipients to inspire the world to save and heal those in need through the gift of life.

PHOTO: Lo Family decorating – l-r: Ehrna Lo Liang and Royse Lo (Sandy’s daughter and son), Giling Lo (Sandy’s granddaughter), Julia Lo (Sandy’s daughter-in-law)

In 1978, Sandy Lo immigrated to New York from Taiwan at the age of 40. Known for her strong work ethic, Sandy become a sample maker in the garment industry, where her seamstress and pattern-making skills earned her an outstanding reputation, spurring her to open her own alterations business on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Sandy’s business blossomed.

But after several years of hard work and long hours, she returned to the garment district in a management position at a high-end fashion house.

When she retired at age 70, Sandy volunteered for the Buddhist Tzu Chi Organization as a vegetarian chef, working tirelessly to help others.

Even in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, 78-year-old Sandy woke at 4:00 each morning and took a 20-minute walk to Tzu Chi to cook hot meals for Hurricane Sandy victims, working nonstop for many weeks. On February 13, 2013, Sandy died suddenly from a hemorrhaging stroke.

Two days later, as she requested in her will, she donated her organs and saved five lives.

The Donate Life float in the 2015 Rose Parade® features an enormous open book appearing to release 60 butterflies representing the number of lives that can be transformed by a single deceased organ donor ascending above 72 books adorned with floragraph portraits of deceased donors whose legacies are celebrated by their loved ones.

Thirty riders, mostly organ and tissue recipients, will be seated among thousands of dedicated roses bearing personal messages of love, hope and remembrance. Twelve living donors will walk alongside the float that will be seen by 40 million viewers nationwide

Today, more than 124,000 candidates are on the national organ transplant waiting list. Largely due to the rarity of donation opportunities, only about 29,000 organs are transplanted each year. As a result, on average, 18 candidates die each day for lack of a donor.

A single organ donor can save the lives of eight people through organ donation, while a single tissue donor can save and heal 50 others through needed heart valves, corneas, skin, bone, and tendons that mend hearts, prevent or cure blindness, heal burns and save limbs. For more information: www.donatelifefloat.org

90% of Americans say they support organ donation, yet only 42.7% up have signed up.