15-year-old organ donor to be honored at the Rose Bowl Parade

A 15-year-old Wall Township boy who donated his organs after he died will be honored at the Rose Bowl Parade in California.
Luke Bautista, of Wall Township, was able to donated five of his organs and help 100 other people in his death through tissue donations.
The teen is among 44 organ donors who will be honored with a “floragraph” on a float in the parade. His likeness will be made of flowers and other natural materials. The image was unveiled to his family Wednesday at a ceremony at Jersey Shore Medical Center.
Two of the people who received Bautista’s organize were on hand for the ceremony.
One of the recipients is Andre Thomas, a 31-year-old father of three.
“It was six years I was waiting for this kidney transplant,” Thomas said.
Thomas says that before receiving Bautista’s kidney, he was on dialysis three times a week. He had already had a liver transplant.
"My liver transplant was saving my life and my rebirth was Luke's kidney,” Thomas says. “I feel like my normal self again."
Bautista’s father Chris says that he is proud to say that his son was able to donate a heart, kidneys, liver and pancreas following his untimely death.
“It helps to know that Luke has a greater purpose in his life. I really believe he was meant to fly high and he's doing exactly that,” his father said.
The Rose Bowl float is called “The gift of time.”
The New Jersey Sharing Network says that 613 lives were saved in 2016 by organ donations.