CHICAGO — An Indiana girl heard the heartbeat of her late daughter contained in the chest of a 68-year-old Illinois man who acquired it in a transplant operation.
Amber Morgan and Tom Johnson met for the primary time Saturday, 4 years after he acquired a coronary heart transplanted from the physique of Andreona Williams, who was 20 when she died from bronchial asthma issues.
The Indiana Donor Network organized the uncommon assembly at a Chicago lodge, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Morgan listened by means of a stethoscope that was pressed to Johnson’s chest.
“It’s almost like I got to hug my daughter again,” the South Bend, Indiana, girl mentioned.
“As a mother, you listen to your child’s heartbeat when you carry them, and I don’t think you ever ask to hear it again,” Morgan mentioned. “It’s amazing.”
Johnson of Kankakee, Illinois, mentioned he despatched a letter to Morgan in 2019, a yr after the transplant at Loyola University Medical Center in suburban Chicago. He needed to specific his gratitude for the household’s choice to donate the center.
He despatched a second letter, too, however didn’t get a response till lately when Morgan mentioned she wish to meet, particularly after her personal coronary heart issues.
Johnson had handled a weak coronary heart since childhood. Doctors tried a pacemaker and defibrillator earlier than telling him {that a} transplant was the very best answer.
“It opened up a whole new world of possibilities,” Johnson mentioned. “It’s just unbelievable. I mean, I can work out in the garden, ride the bike. My sons can’t believe how quick I can go.”
Johnson’s spouse, Sharon, mentioned Williams’ coronary heart is particular.
“He takes very special care of her,” she mentioned. “He never misses his heart medication. Never.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com”