It is more than a memory that lives on. It is a part of her daughter, a young woman who cared so much for the plight of those less fortunate and those in need. It is the love of a mother preserving the work her daughter began.

Susan Giess carries on the vision and the loving heart of her daughter Mandy, whose life ended tragically on Aug. 24, 2003 in an automobile accident near her Palmetto home. Mandy was 22 years old.

One of Mandy’s many ways of contributing to others was displayed in her willingness to be an organ and tissue donor. Though the circumstances of the automobile accident made organ donation unavailable, Susan was able to grant Mandy’s wish by providing hope to others through tissue donation.

Mandy’s living legacy is an extension of Susan’s recognition that her daughter was always happy when contributing to the lives of others. Those contributions began early. They continue even today. And to date, in the form of tissue donations, more than 40 people in 11 states have benefitted from Mandy’s contribution and Susan’s loving gift.

Susan will honor Mandy’s life by taking part in the 2007 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, on New Year’s Day. She will be one of 23 family members from 11 states and Canada riding the Donate Life float in the parade. Susan’s participation is sponsored by Regeneration Technologies, Inc. (RTI) Donor Services.

The theme for this year’s float is “Giving From The Heart.” Hundreds of donor families will participate in decorating the Donate Life float. Their participation, said event organizers, is a way for donor family members to celebrate their loved ones and a way for transplant recipients to honor donors.

“Generous donor families look beyond the loss of their loved one to give life to another, while living donors give part of themselves to help others in need,” RTI representatives said. “A concern and love for others that allows such a profound gift to be offered comes from the very core of our being, from the heart.”

It is that sentiment that compelled Susan to travel to Pasadena and to stand with other families in America’s signature parade.

“It’s a way to get the message out about tissue donation,” Susan explained, looking beyond her own loss to the hope brought to dozens of families through Mandy’s love for people.

As a child, Mandy loved animals, all kinds of animals. At age nine, she participated as a youth counselor at an Easter Seals Camp. As Mandy grew, her love for animals and people and her desire to provide a positive impact on the lives of others never waned.

“She was always helping people in trouble or people with problems at home,” Susan said with a little smile that easily showed the admiration she has for her daughter.

That help extended to Susan, who was injured in a serious car accident in 1999. During Susan’s recovery, Mandy was at her side. It was during that time, during the many conversations, that topics such as the uncertainty of life circumstances and personal struggles occurred. One of those topics was homelessness.

Not surprisingly, Mandy’s loving generosity took on a new form in 2002. She decided to give Christmas stockings to the homeless after visiting the Little Five Points area of Atlanta. The stockings were filled with the things that anyone living on the street would need, such as a hat, scarf and gloves, Chapstick, a toothbrush and soap, food, and even candy and a Christmas card.

“We started from there in 2002,” Susan said. “She delivered them to Little Five Points. She called me, balling, telling me the stories of some of the homeless people she met.”

After Mandy was gone, Susan decided to continue her work for the homeless, providing even more Christmas stockings in 2003.

“We both cared about homelessness,” Susan said softly. “A lot of people are in that situation, and a lot of them are there not by choice. I know we would still be doing it together if Mandy was here. Maybe other people will pick up the effort. For me, it’s a way to honor her memory and her life.”

In 2004, her efforts were joined by RTI Donor Services. And today, whether through providing the gift of Christmas stockings for the homeless or through tissue donations, Mandy’s vision of caring lives on. That caring will take a different form on New Year’s Day in the Tournament of Roses Parade. Riding on the Donate Life float, Susan said her participation for Mandy is a way to get the message out about tissue donation. To date, through bone and tissue implants, Mandy has made a difference in the lives of children and adults all over the midwest and eastern United States. Even in death, Mandy continues to give the gift of a better life.

Donate Life’s fourth Rose Parade float carries 23 riders, each of whom has donated organs, tissue or blood so that others might live. The float is full of symbolism: the eight colorful gift boxes represent the lives that can be saved by a single organ donor; 50 bouquets signify the lives that can be saved or enhanced by a single tissue donor; and the red ribbon’s three loops represent the lives that can be touched through a single blood donation. The heart at the front of the float is filled with a “Family Circle” garden of roses dedicated by families and organizations touched by donation and transplantation. The tags on the gifts are presented in English, Spanish and Chinese, carrying the message of good nature around the world.

Donate Life encourages parade viewers to register as organ and tissue donors in their state and donate blood in their community. RTI Donor Services is a not-for-profit American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) accredited tissue recovery organization that works to enhance the lives of others by providing families the option of tissue donation. RTI works with local communities to provide donation education and support. RTI’s Marietta office can be contacted at 678-279-4002 or at 800-254-3440.

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