QC heart recipient and organ donor family take part in 2025 Rose Parade

PASADENA, Calif. — The 2025 Rose Parade in California had some Quad City connections. 

A Bettendorf woman who received a heart transplant as a child, as well as the family of a Davenport man who died in 2022 and was an organ donor, were honored through a special float. 

This year’s most ‘Extraordinary’ float was awarded to the OneLegacy Donate Life float. For 22 years, the float has encouraged people to sign up for organ donation. 

The theme for this year’s Donate Life float was Let Your Life Soar and was inspired by the Japanese celebration of Children’s Day. It featured colorful Koi No Bori, or flying fish flags, over a garden of trees, stone lanterns and a bridge. Also depicted were streamers bearing the family crest and memorial ‘floragraph’ portraits in the fishes’ scales. 

Floragraph portraits were handmade with organic material. Each one represents a donor who gave the gift of life. 

One of the floragraphs was a portrait of Joshua ‘Josh’ Brennan, a late organ donor from Davenport. After passing away in March 2022, at the age of 41, Brennan has saved and healed numerous lives through organ and tissue donation. He originally signed up to be an organ donor at the age of 16. 

Meanwhile, living donors walked alongside the float. That included Angel Dominguez of Bettendorf, who received a heart transplant 32 years ago. This was her first time attending the Rose Parade. 

“Organ donation is about so much more than just one person,” Dominguez said. “It’s about entire communities coming together. You never know who might be waiting for a second chance at life, so it’s vital that we continue to raise awareness about the importance of registering as a donor.”

The families of Dominguez and Brennan, along with other organ and tissue donors and recipients, helped decorate the float in the days leading up to the parade, a symbolic gesture of unity and shared gratitude. The trip to Pasadena was made possible thanks to a donation to the Iowa Donor Network from the Gerdin Family Foundation

Brennan’s sisters, Katie Kuehn and Kelly Stiffler, traveled to Pasadena for the festivities. 

Kuehn tells WQAD that serving others was just who Brennan was. 

“[Josh] helped me get into community service and understanding that politics affects all of us,” Kuehn said. “He was someone who worked with individuals with disabilities throughout his entire career — giving back to that community. He also was really involved with other marginalized communities, the Quad Cities harm reduction group, and just really lived his life serving others.” 

Stiffler added that Brennan was also an amazing husband, father and brother. 

“We’re here today because of Josh’s legacy,” Stiffler said. “Josh was always the first to volunteer and to lend a helping hand. It was never a question for him to be an organ donor — it was something he always wanted to do, and now we see just how much it meant to so many people.”

In a poignant moment, Stiffler shared the story of a woman who received a tissue donation from her brother that allowed her to return to her career as a firefighter after an ACL repair. The recipient then wrote a heartfelt letter to the family, explaining how the donation literally saved her ability to work and serve her community.

More than 600 Iowans are currently waiting for life-saving organ transplants. That number is more than 100,000 people nationwide. It’s a reality that all three ladies hope will inspire more people to consider registering as donors. 

“You can make the difference between life and death for someone,” Kuehn said. “Just by checking a box.”

For Dominguez, the experience of riding on the float and sharing it with the Brennan family is a reminder that the impact of donation goes beyond the individual — it creates a network of hope, healing, and human connection.

“The most incredible part of all this is how we’re all connected,” Dominguez said, reflecting on the week’s emotional journey. “We’re all here because of a simple decision that can make a world of difference.”

To learn more about registering as an organ, eye and tissue donor in Iowa, or to share your story, visit the Iowa Donor Network’s website.

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