Hally Yust of Spring Hill, Kan., is one of 60 organ donors nationwide being celebrated on this year's Donate Life America float at the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year's Day.
Nine-year-old Hally died in 2014 from a bacterial infection caused by an amoeba.
Hally will have a floragraph on the float. Float design teams created a picture of Hally using flowers and seeds. The Midwest Transplant Network sponsors Hally's floragraph.
Hally's relatives were given the honor of adding finishing touches to the floragraph.
Hally's parents, Jenny and Shon Yust, will be in Pasadena, Calif., along with friends and other relatives to see the float. Shon and Jenny Yust donated their daughter's kidneys, and because of that gift, the recipients, two adult men, are able to enjoy life with their families.
"Hally was such a giving person that it wasn't hard for us to decide to donate," explained Shon Yust. "We ask ourselves what would Hally want us to do and we knew she would want us to donate her organs," he explained.
Jenny Yust said, "If we can do anything to help other families turn their tragedy into hope for someone else, then that's what we want to do."
Since Hally's death, the Yust family has created a nonprofit organization called Team Hally.
When Hally was 7 years old, she started a campaign to raise money for Bibles for children in Haiti.
Now, Team Hally continues her efforts raising money to donate Bibles. Hally also loved playing basketball and dreamed of playing for Kansas State University.
K-state also has summer basketball camps for middle school girls in Hally's name.
The Tournament of Roses Parade will air on your 41 Action News Station on New Year's Day. For more information on becoming an organ donor, visit the Midwest Transplant Network.
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Cynthia Newsome can be reached at cynthia.newsome@kshb.com.
