A mother gave her dead son's heart to save the life of a terminally ill girl
7-month-old Lucas tragically died in June 2013. His mom, Heather Clark, left her son with a nurse for a few hours. Then the baby was attacked by the boyfriend of a young nanny, and the child died.
It was a terrible blow for Heather. However, having barely survived her tragedy, the woman found the strength to help other mothers. Heather donated the organs of her deceased son to children who needed urgent transplantation.
"When I found out about this opportunity, I didn't have to think twice. Somewhere there is a family that feels the same way I felt. And I had a chance to help them avoid the horror that I had to go through," Heather explains her decision.
So the death of one child, thanks to the dedication and strength of his mother, saved the lives of three. One of them is 4—year-old Jordan Drake, who has spent her entire life in the walls of a Children's Hospital in Phoenix. Jordan suffered from a congenital heart defect and would not have survived without an urgent transplant. After Lucas' death, Heather donated her son's heart to the girl.
"It's hard to believe that she was so selfless. In the moment of her own grief, she was able to think about other families," says Esther, the mother of the rescued girl, about Heather.
The transplant operation was successful, but Jordan had to go through a long period of rehabilitation. Now, when the heart of little Lucas is beating steadily in her chest, Jordan and her family have come to California to see their savior.
The meeting was very emotional — both women could not hold back tears in the first few minutes, although the main shock for Heather was ahead. With the help of a stethoscope, the woman heard the heartbeat of her own son in the chest of the girl she saved.
This sound was later recorded on audio and installed inside a musical toy so that Heather would remember that her little son's heart would always beat.
Keywords: Charity | Life | Mom | Organ transplant | Help | Heart | Rescue | Tragedy