PASADENA, Calif., November 22, 2010 -- Kaiser Permanente’s Rose Parade float this year is entitled “Purrfectly Healthy” and is a nostalgic look at a momma cat and family playing in a Victorian-inspired garden, gathering vegetables and depicting Kaiser Permanente’s “Thrive” message of healthy eating and active living in a style reminiscent of a children’s classic story. And for the sixth consecutive year, 10 young Kaiser Permanente patients, ages 14-18, will be waving, smiling, and obviously enjoying the fact that they were chosen by their medical teams for this special experience.
What won’t be so obvious is that each youngster has lived through months and, for some, years of treatment and procedures to hear the word “remission,” or to recover from Hodgkins disease, leukemia, synovial sarcoma, aplastic anemia (a blood disorder), amniotic band syndrome (a congenital limb and digit abnormality) and Moyamoya disease (a congenital constriction of certain arteries in the brain). Today these teenagers are back at school, playing sports, tutoring, volunteering, and dreaming of college and their future careers.
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