Durham, N.C. — This time last year, Delores Evans had just received a kidney transplant from her son, who had recently committed suicide.

“Last year, we didn’t think about Thanksgiving, we were so torn apart,” Evans said Thursday.

In April, Evans started speaking to groups about organ donation.

“Each time I talk about my story and what having a kidney transplant has done for me, it aides in my grieving,” Evans said.

Evans still battled with grief, but said her life was changed when she met Fred Krenrich, the man that received her son’s lungs.

“Meeting Fred had just added a different level to my peace of mind,” Evans said.

Krenrich had never met Evans’ son, but he wanted to reach out to his mother to say “thank you.”

“Being able to roll around on the floor with my grandchildren or dance with my wife at a wedding, I couldn’t do that and now I can,” Krenrich said.

“Fred has referred to us as family and that’s just what we consider him,” Evans said.

Evans will be in the Rose Bowl Parade on New Year's Day. She will be representing her son and organ donation.