Donate Life float to feature area girl

The Sentinel

Barb Yarosh said that she always tries to be open with her children, even if that means the preoperative nurse at PinnacleHealth has to limit some of the medical jargon to help them understand.

She did not, however, expect to have one of those conversations impact her children so early.

Melissa Yarosh, 14, of Harrisburg, was involved in a car crash in April 2006 and died from the injuries she suffered in the crash.

It was a conversation about organ donation nine months before the crash that helped Melissa's parents in following their daughter's last wish - to give others new life by donating her organs and bone to several people.

Melissa's gifts inspired her father and many of her friends to register as organ donors, and her mother and the Central Pennsylvania chapter of Gift of Life Donor Program hope her picture will inspire even more people to join the ranks of donors.

Melissa's picture will be one of 65 featured on Donate Life's annual Rose Parade float, and on Monday, her mother put the finishing touches on her picture by adding nutmeg to the all-natural "floragraph." As the Tournament of Roses Parade opens up for its 123rd year on New Year's Day in Pasadena, Calif., Barb Yarosh and her mother will be among those seeing the float live in honor of Melissa.
Read more: http://cumberlink.com/news/health/donate-life-float-to-feature-area-girl/article_8df8ce7a-2f4b-11e1-8b9c-001871e3ce6c.html#ixzz1hfSkgBiG