Tyla Newbold and Carter Bryant have become good friends. Newbold says she owes Carter's mother her life.

Newbold was 16 when she received the liver of Caroline Ball Bryant, a 21-year-old pregnant woman who died in a car accident. Doctors were able to save the baby, who is now 12-year-old Carter.

"It's hard when someone had to die for you to live," said Newbold, who will join Carter on the Donate Life float in the Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., on New Year's Day.

Newbold and Carter will join 23 other riders from around the country on the float "New Life Rises," which has a theme of organ donation awareness. The design includes a phoenix rising out of flames, symbolizing how new life rises from organ, eye and tissue donors.

Images on the float are made from floral components, including one in honor of Caroline Bryant, who was eight months pregnant when she died. Her husband, Coy Bryant, fulfilled his late wife's wishes by agreeing to donate her organs, which went to Newbold and five other people.

"I couldn't change the fact that she was gone," he said.

Utah residents can register to be organ donors online at http://www.yesutah.org and by indicating it on a driver's license or state ID. Utah law does not require family consent, but keeping everyone informed helps avoid confusion or delays.

Although most recipients never know the identity of the donors, a few mutual friends made the connection between Caroline Bryant and Newbold and introduced the families later that year.

"I feel incredible love for her," Newbold said of Caroline Bryant.

Carter Bryant is an active kid, playing baseball, soccer and swimming. He has only heard about his mother.

"I know she was very generous and she was polite," he said. "She would've been a good mom."

He said he's also excited to ride in the parade to show people how they can help others.

"It was a close call, but I'm glad I'm still here," he said.

California musicians All-4-One, known for the hit "I Swear," also assisted with the float. The group visited Newbold in her hospital room during a trip through Salt Lake City in 1995. The group returned this week to help finish and returned to Primary Children's Medical Center this week to help finish the floragraph of Caroline Bryant and visit children at Shriner's Hospital.

"It's one of those things about lifting the human spirit," singer Delious Kennedy said. "How could you say 'no' to that when it's so easy to do."