Family's Tearful Reunion With the Man Who Received Late Son's Heart
Casey Heisler and Tom Meeks. Photo: Kare11.com
Eight months after 21-year-old Matt Heisler’s death, his family got to hear his heart beating again – inside Vietnam veteran Tom Meeks. “This is awesome,” Matt’s father, Jared Heisler, told Minneapolis/St. Paul KARE 11 TV Monday as he held up a stethoscope to the chest of the Washington native who received his son’s heart via transplant in March.
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Jared, mom Cheryl and Matt’s younger sister Casey had come to visit Meeks to see the impact of Matt’s generosity firsthand and were all brought to tears by the emotional moment. “I woke up this morning and told Matt that mom and dad’s coming today,” Meeks shared, embracing each Heisler one by one.
Photo: Kare11.com
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The United Network for Organ Sharing, a non-profit that manages the country’s organ transplant system, reports that as of press time there are nearly 124,000 candidates on the nationwide waiting list for transplants. So far this year, the largest percentage of deceased donors, about 28 percent, are those in Matt’s age range: 18 to 34-year- olds. ”The impact organ donation has on recipients and their families is clear,” UNOS spokeswoman Anne Paschke tells Yahoo Parenting. “But it can have a remarkable effect on donor families as well. Many find solace in knowing they carried out their loved ones wishes and in turning a tragedy into something amazing and lifesaving.” That’s the case with the Heislers. Dad Jared told KARE 11 the fact that his son has helped others gives him comfort in his grief. He said, “I’m really proud of Matt.”
Matt Heisler. Photo: Kare11.com
The University of North Dakota student was pronounced dead this winter following an accidental fire in an off-campus house in Grand Forks. Shortly afterward his family issued a statement thanking for those who had prayed for their son – and urging people “to pray for those who will be blessed by life-giving transplants from Matthew.” Turns out 60 people ended up being blessed by the young man, who signed up to be an organ donor at age 16.
Matt’s heart was literally lifesaving for Meeks, who suffers from heart disease and was rejected by five hospitals before The Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota, put him on a transplant waiting list. Meeks had been holding his breath for a full three years before the college student’s heart turned his life around. Now the grandfather of four says, “I feel awesome…Obviously in my case [I’m] always going to carry a very, very warm spot in my heart.”
