OKLAHOMA CITY – December 29, 2022 -- Two Oklahomans will be representing Oklahoma in the 2023 Tournament of Roses Parade. Morgan Flynn, of Tushka, Okla., and David Wheelis, of Oklahoma City, will be a part of the Donate Life Float featured in the parade.

Every year, LifeShare of Oklahoma helps sponsor the Donate Life Float in the Tournament of Roses Parade to spread the message about organ, eye and tissue donation. As a sponsor, Life-Share is able to send one recipient to ride the float and one donor portrait to be honored on the float.

The 2023 float celebrates the power of organ, eye and tissue donation, with donors and recipients working together to support one another. A spectacular Chinese street dragon is the centerpiece of the float. In Chinese culture, dragons symbolize great power, good luck and strength. They bring prosperity and abundance.

A colorful dragon winds through flowering trees, lanterns and fans, and is emblazoned with 44 memorial floragraphs, representing those who have given the gift of life. The dragon will be supported on poles by living donors, and surrounded by organ, eye and tissue recipients, whose lives have been transformed and have turned the corner to a more prosperous future, thanks to those who said ‘YES’ to organ, eye and tissue donation.

As the world’s most visible campaign to inspire organ, eye and tissue donation, the Donate Life Rose Parade float inspires viewers to save and heal more than one million people in need of organ, eye and tissue transplants each year.

This January, Oklahoma will be represented by the following individuals: Morgan Flynn –Tissue Donor Morgan’s Story

Morgan Flynn, of Tushka, Okla., was born with Cystic Fibrosis. As a young child, she was very sick but managed her symptoms with medication.

The disease did not define Morgan, but it created and heavily impacted part of her story. At the age of eight, Morgan received a transplant which saved her life. Even at a young age, she was so incredibly grateful for the gift of life she had been given. She continued to grow up as normally as possible, despite her health issues.

Morgan was an upbeat child and teenager. She never felt bad for herself or sat in her sorrow. She saw the positive, smiled often and was known for her infamous giggle.

She loved animals and planned to become a veterinarian one day. Morgan had animals, such as a mini pig, dog and hedgehog. She also showed goats with Future Farmers of America and loved taking care of them.

As a member of the Choctaw Tribe, she greatly loved her family. She spent time with them every day and loved watching her brother’s baseball games at Tushka High School.

As Morgan got older, Cystic Fibrosis continued to take over her body, which caused rejection of her lungs. She was relisted for another transplant and when Morgan was thirteen years of age, received a second set of lungs.

She was so grateful for this gift of life. As she grew in age and maturity, Morgan never forgot to honor her donors, praising them, and keeping them in her heart. She would often gather her family together to participate in memorial runs to honor the heroes who gave her the gift of life.

While Morgan persevered through all her trials, Cystic Fibrosis kept her sick. Despite being sick, she still insisted on going to school – even if it were only for a couple of hours. She had plenty of reasons to want to give up, but she never allowed it to be an option for her.

Eventually, Morgan ended up in the hospital with lung complications from her illness, which eventually ended her life.

As fate would have it, after Morgan’s death, she was able to become a donor as well, donating her corneas and heart valves, saving others’ lives in the same way that her life was saved.

David Wheelis – Liver Recipient

David will be honored as a recipient and will ride on the float.

David’s Story

David Wheelis, of Oklahoma City, wakes up grateful every day he is alive. His life is forever changed thanks to his wife, who at the time was his girlfriend, who saved his life five years ago.

In 2010, David learned he had a rare liver disease. At first, he had anxiety and a fear of the unknown – not fully knowing what would happen. After receiving his diagnosis, he knew he would eventually need a transplant, so he began to accept his diagnosis and eventual treatment.

He worked on himself to attempt to delay the disease, such as leading a healthy lifestyle by watching what he was eating and exercising. He kept his faith that if he took care of the little things like his day-to-day tasks, the big things would take care of themselves.

When David began showing signs of liver failure, he and his girlfriend who is now his wife, Misti, visited his Hepatologist and discussed his options. As soon as the doctor mentioned he could potentially have a living donor, Misti knew she wanted to be tested to save David’s life by donating a part of her liver to him.

Misti underwent different exams and tests to ensure she was a candidate to donate part of her liver to David. She eventually learned that she could donate to him, and they began to set a transplant date.

After surgery, David woke up relieved and thankful he made it through the transplant. He began to look healthier immediately and did so well that he beat Misti out of the hospital after recovery.

David’s life was forever changed by the irreplaceable gift of life. Misti was touched by all the wonderful people they worked with through the donation process and became a nurse. The couple has since married and now have a daughter, Katherine, who is 18 months old. They spend every day together grateful for the gift of life.

“We are thankful to have the opportunity to honor Morgan, David and their families, at the Rose Parade this year as they represent the lifesaving gifts of donation,” said Jeffrey Orlowski, President and Chief Executive Officer of LifeShare of Oklahoma. “With a worldwide audience in the hundreds of millions, Morgan will not only be representing the importance of donation, but she will also serve as a representative of Oklahoma and the approximately 600 citizens of the state who are waiting on a lifesaving transplant.”

LifeShare encourages everyone across the state to tune in to watch the 134th Rose Parade on January 2.