Let's just say there’s a LOT more to this picture than meets the eye."
"In the middle is Arthur Reyes from Fairfield.
He’s 28. And he’s VERY lucky to be alive.
Three years ago his heart gave out.
What saved him was a heart transplant.
On the right is Mary Knauer.
It was her son who died.
It is her son’s heart that is now beating inside Reyes.
This was the first time they met.
"I feel so blessed to meet them. To say thank you in person, to put a face to them. It made everything so real. My heart is still pounding."
Reyes says:
"His selflessness changed my life 180degrees. Because of his choice, I was able to do so much more in life."
I remember many years ago I interviewed a woman who had a heart transplant.
He had to keep a beeper on her at all times waiting for the call.
When it finally came he was taken to the hospital and prepped for the operation.
I asked her if he remembered her last thought before going into surgery.
He said the last thing he remembered thinking was, “Am I going to wake up, or is this operating room the last thing I'm going to see.”
Can you imagine being wheeled into an operating room knowing that someone is about to remove your heart? My god that must be frightening. Then again you also know it’s your only hope to survive.
I thought it was pretty cool what Reyes said a few days after the transplant as he was lying in bed.
"I could hear it — it was so loud. I forgot what it was like to have a healthy heart. I could finally rest without worrying."
The one thing that always gets me about transplants is the extreme emotion on both sides.
Someone has to die, for another person to live.
Mary Knauer lost her son.
I hope she is very proud of the fact that because he decided to be an organ donor, he saved Arthur Reyes life. "
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