This is the tear-jerking moment a dad broke down as he listened to the sound of his dead daughter’s heart beating – inside the body of a man whose life she saved.
Abbey was just 20 years old when she was found face down in a pool during a holiday in Mexico.
She suffered an irreversible brain injury and was flown to Florida where she was kept on life support until her organs could be removed for transplant.
Though her brother made a full recovery & recently graduated. Abbey donated 4 organs which went to 4 men ages 20 to 60.
Mr Conner decided to honour his daughter’s memory by cycling 2,600 miles from his home in Madison to Fort Lauderdale in Florida, where Abbey had died in January this year.
When Mr Conner told the donation center that handled Abbey’s organs about his epic ride, letters were sent to the recipients, asking if they’d be interested in meeting him.
“The only person who has responded at this point is Jack,” Mr Conner said.
Jack, from Lafayette, Louisiana, had suffered a heart attack and his heart was quickly failing when Abbey’s organs became available.
“He was given 10 days to live,” Mr Conner said.
“With Abbey and the way things went – he’s alive today.”
The pair met 1,400 miles into the dad’s journey.
In the tear-jerking footage, Mr Conner tells Jack’s grandad: “Don’t thank me, thank my daughter.”
After sharing a long hug, Jack reveals the amazing present he’s brought for Mr Conner, handing him a gift bag and a stethoscope so that he can listen to his daughter’s heart beating again.
After listening for a while and with both men welling up, Mr Conner manages to quip: “Well, it’s working.”
“Knowing he’s alive because of Abbey, Abbey is alive inside of him — it’s her heart having him stand up straight,” Conner said. “I was happy for him and his family, and at the same time, I got to reunite with my daughter.”
“It’s about not being selfish and burying things that could help people live or live better lives,” Conner said. “If you want a legacy — what better legacy could you have than to help people live?”
