Wow, is all we can say.
In March of this year, 14-year old Katelyn Zimmerman and her brother Dylan were tragically killed by a drunk driver while out cycling near their Florida home.
Her parents decided to donate their organs, and now, four months later, Katelyn’s heart lives on in another 14-year old, Alj Jeffers, who was in desperate need of a heart transplant due to his fight with heart disease.
Ali has now met Katelyn’s family, who, in an incredibly moving moment, got to hear their daughter’s heart beat once more.
In preparation for the meeting, Alj wrote a tear-jerking letter to Katelyn’s family, thanking them for being his “miracle”.
“Think you for the gift I have gotten to see more in life. Thank you for my second chance. Thank you from the bottom of my heart Katelyn, thank you for being my miracle,” he said, before breaking down in tears.
Alj’s mum made the decision not to listen to her son’s heartbeat until Katelyn’s family did first, so during the meeting, it was the first time she had heard it beat.
“My gratitude can’t be put into words,” she told the family. “I know how much you’ve sacrificed to give another a brand new life.”
And hearing Katelyn’s heart beat again has comforted her family hugely. During the meeting Katelyn’s dad Sean hugged Alj close, and said, “It put us at peace, knowing that Katelyn's heart is still beating, even though it's not in her.”
Wow, so incredibly emotional. We can’t help crying at this bittersweet moment.
