A man who owes his life to a heart donated by a boy from Virginia came up with a thoughtful way of showing his gratitude to the deceased’s family.
Robert O’Connor, from Massachusetts, needed a heart to be transplanted to his body to live and was given the heart of Dakota Reid.
To thank the donor’s family, Robert wanted to gift them something that would remind them of the presence of their 16-year-old who died of a car accident.
So he gave them a Build-a-Bear stuffed animal that had the heartbeat of Dakota’s heart in it.
Dakota’s stepmom, Stephanie Reid, told PEOPLE: “We feel like we have a part of him with us now. It’s just amazing, Dakota was able to give the ultimate gift of life and we consider him a hero for it.
“We just wanted to help as many people as we could with the organ donations.”
While Dakota’s dad, John Allen Lee Reid, added: “When I first heard the heartbeat, it took me back to the nights I would lay my head on his chest listening to his heart.
“The gift reminded me as to why I donated his organs and how much of a hero my son became. The feeling is absolutely beyond [a] description of anything in this world.”
Robert got the idea of this special and unique gift after he spent weeks fighting for his life in the Tufts Medical Center in Boston.
Such an extreme hospital visit was not something Robert, who had been living with a heart condition, was looking forward to.
He suffered from Cardiomyopathy, a disease that weakens the heart muscles, making it difficult for the biological pump to efficiently send blood to all parts of the body.
However, one day, things suddenly got out of control and Robert was transported by an air ambulance from Baystate Medical Center in Springfield to the Boston hospital.
“It was basically, [I was there until] I get a heart… if I get a heart,” Robert said about the ten agonizing weeks he spent at the hospital.
Finally, the news which Robert was waiting for came. He learned that someone fitting to be a donor for him had died and his heart can be used for the transplant.
“I got the heart, I got my life back!” Robert said of the day he got the heart.
Upon the successful transplant, Robert wanted to express his gratitude for the Reid family. He gifted them a Build-a-Bear dressed in a “Best Dad Ever” costume.
“We talked about meeting,” Robert told WWLP. “Someday in the future, we will meet so they could hear their heart, and I said, hopefully, this will help until we meet.”
Dakota’s stepmom Stephanie posted an emotional video on Facebook in which her husband can be seen opening the gift and breaking down into tears upon seeing it.
“The gentleman who received Dakotas heart sent John Allen Lee Reid a build a bear with Dakotas heartbeat! Thank you!” Stephanie wrote in the caption of the clip.
Speaking to PEOPLE, Stephanie said “the gift meant the world” to John and her, and they are expecting to meet Robert within this year.
“We definitely plan to meet Bob, hopefully sometime this year. It’s so important for us to meet him,” said Stephanie.
“I think on that day we will feel some sadness, but mostly happiness for Bob and for Dakota being such a hero.”
After getting a second chance at life, Robert is looking forward to spending time outdoors as well as with his family.
“Just being able to get outside, walk, do anything,” Robert said. “Go swimming with my granddaughter in my pool. Just getting back to life.”
The Reid family hopes that sharing the story of their late son will encourage more people to donate “life” to others.
“Share your life and become an organ donor!” Stephanie said. “He helped five lives … We hadn’t thought about it much before, but it just made sense and now it means everything to us.”
While John added: “To give the gift of life is to prolong God’s plan for that recipient. After all, it is nothing short of a miracle from him to see my son Dakota live on through others continuing to do God’s work.”
“I tell folks that it is easy to say no to being a donor until you are on the receiving end to having your life saved,” John concluded.
“It is a powerful and honorable experience for both the donor and the recipient, and I will do it again, including my own organs.”
Replaced!