Greenville teen's portrait featured on Rose Parade float - 21 News Now, More Local News for Youngstown, Ohio -

GREENVILLE, Pa.- A Greenville teen's live-saving gifts will be honored when millions tune in to watch the annual Rose Parade next week.

The New Year's Day televised event will feature a float portraits of 72 organ donors including 17-year old Christopher Hershberger.

"It was just a great feeling to know that he was going to go on, even though his body wasn't here, that I knew he'd be out there somewhere," Roseanne Hershberger said, Christopher's mother.

Christopher died suddenly in January after a he suffered a brain hemorrhage.The fun-loving 17-year old with down syndrome was a social butterfly, who loved roller coasters and video games.

Loosing a child was devastating, but Roseanne unexpectedly found a way to let her son live on and help others. She says the Center for Organ Recovery and Education out of western Pennsylvania arranged the donations of Christopher's pancreas, heart valves and his kidneys.

One kidney became a life altering gift for Kurt Miller of Prospect, Pa. Miller was diagnosed with diabetes as a child, he had been on dialysis for two years straight before receiving a call that he would soon have Christopher's kidney.

"It's a gift that you can never express enough thanks for, I mean, my life is now so much better," he said.

In honor of the organ donations, CORE's float in the Pasadena parade will feature a floragraph- Christopher's image made entirely of roses.

"The float is actually shaped in a roller coaster with hearts and the fact that Christopher was a front seat rollercoaster rider is such a connection to me," Roseanne said.

Having Christopher's portrait placed among the 72 donors is one way his family knows he will inspire others to follow in his foot steps.