Mum hears dead son's heart beat again in little girl's chest
Heather Clark meets the little girl whose life she saved by her decision to donate her son Lukas' organs in 2013
When baby Lukas died at just 7 months in 2013, amid the "unthinkable grief" his mum made an important decision – to donate his organs.
In doing so, Heather Clark saved 3 lives.
And now, 3 years after her baby boy died, Heather has heard her little boy's heart beat again – meeting the 4-year-old girl who received Lukas's heart.
Jordan Drake was born with a congenital heart defect, and had spent most of her life in hospital. Then, in June 2013, when she was 18 months old, she underwent a heart transplant.
Jordan, now 4, is thriving with her new heart and now Heather has had the chance to meet the little girl that she saved.
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Hearing her son's heart
On an emotional visit to Phoenix Children's Hospital in Arizona, USA, Heather listened to her son's heartbeat using a stethoscope.
"Amid the unthinkable grief of losing her son Lukas, Heather made a decision that saved three lives," Organ donor group Donate Life Arizona wrote on Facebook.
"Jordan received Lukas' precious heart when she was just 18 months old.
"Yesterday, Heather heard her son's heartbeat for the first time in nearly three years."
"We're family now"
Jordan's mum, Esther Gonzalez, broke down in tears as the two mothers hugged each other at the hospital.
"It's hard to describe...that she would be so selfless to be able to think of another family while she's going through her grief," Esther Gonzalez, Jordan's mother, told Fox 10 Phoenix.
"We're family now. We're friends now. Our families are families. We've brought our families together."
A sound recording of Lukas's heartbeat has now been placed inside a teddy bear for Heather to listen to whenever she wants.
Talking about deciding to donate her son's organs, she said: "The only thing I can think of is, I can't save my own son, so why not save someone else's child because I can't do anything with him."
Lukas died in June 2013 after he was allegedly assaulted while being cared for by a babysitter. A man is currently facing charges of assault and murder in connection with his death.
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