New Jersey’s Missy Rodriguez Recognized During the 2024 Rose Parade in Pasadena
(Pasadena, CA) – On New Years Day, liver transplant recipient Missy Rodriguez of Short Hills, NJ, was part of the world’s most visible campaign to inspire organ and tissue donation as she served as a float rider on OneLegacy’s Donate Life Rose Parade float in Pasadena, CA.
Missy was selected to ride on the float by NJ Sharing Network, the federally designated non-profit organization responsible for the recovery of donated organs and tissue for transplant in the Garden State.
“Being part of the Rose Parade was an overwhelming experience. I was honored to meet countless incredible people and spread our message about the power of organ and tissue donation and transplantation,” said Missy. “I felt my donor angel proudly watching from above as I rode on the float, sharing our message loud and clear. My own journey drives me to advocate for this cause. It’s about giving hope to those waiting for the gift of life.”
ABOUT MISSY RODRIGUEZ
At the age of ten, Missy Rodriguez received a successful life-saving liver transplant. Today, Rodriguez is approaching the fortieth anniversary of her transplant – a milestone that will make her one of the longest liver transplant survivors in history. She thrives in her professional, social, and athletic pursuits.
Rodriguez went to great lengths to keep her medical history a secret for most of her life. However, in 2015, Rodriguez had a dramatic change of heart after she underwent emergency surgery. She decided it was “her turn to give rather than receive.” Since then, Rodriguez has turned her passion into purpose as an advocate for organ donation. She serves as a mentor, priding herself as a resource for pre- and post-transplant patients.
Rodriguez is a certified volunteer for NJ Sharing Network and principal for Missy's Miracle Scholarship Fund. This Sharing Network Foundation program supports initiatives that raise awareness for organ and tissue donation and provides scholarships for high school students touched by the Foundation's life-saving mission. To date, she has raised over $120,000.
Rodriguez is a well-recognized community volunteer and advocate for donation and transplantation. She has been featured in dozens of television and print news media spotlights and acknowledged for her charitable efforts by local neighborhood businesses, alliances, and religious institutions. Her efforts have also been publicly recognized by the Township of Millburn, NJ, with an official proclamation. Rodriguez also participates in the Sharing Network Foundation’s 5K Celebration of Life and has won gold medals in tennis at the Transplant Games of America as a member of Team Liberty.
Rodriguez resides in Short Hills, NJ, with her husband, Brett, and their three sons, Jesse, Reece, and Mack.
ABOUT ONELEGACY'S DONATE LIFE ROSE PARADE? FLOAT
For over 20 years, OneLegacy's Donate Life Rose Parade? float has inspired people worldwide to save and heal lives with the powerful message of organ and tissue donation. The 2024 float, Woven Together: The Dance of Life, showcased the culture of the Hopi, native to the American Southwest. Transplant recipients (including Missy Rodriguez) rode on the float and living donors walked alongside it. Memorial floragraphs honoring organ and tissue donor heroes were also displayed on the float. The floragraphs were made entirely of flowers, seeds, and organic materials.
ABOUT NJ SHARING NETWORK
NJ Sharing Network is the federally designated non-profit organization focused on saving and enhancing lives through the recovery of donated organs and tissue in the Garden State. NJ Sharing Network provides hope for nearly 4,000 New Jersey residents currently waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, and it is part of the national recovery system for the over 100,000 people on the national transplant waiting list. With headquarters in New Providence, NJ, the organization has been recognized by NJBIZ as one of the state’s ‘Best Places to Work’ for six consecutive years. To learn more, get involved, and join the National Donate Life Registry as an organ and tissue donor, visit www.NJSharingNetwork.org.
ABOUT THE SHARING NETWORK FOUNDATION
The Sharing Network Foundation supports the work of NJ Sharing Network, the federally designated non-profit organization responsible for the recovery of donated organs and tissue in the Garden State. The Foundation is committed to increasing the number of lives saved through clinical advancement, family support, public awareness and education about the life-saving benefits of organ and tissue donation and transplantation. For more information or to make a contribution, visit www.SharingNetworkFoundation.org.
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