Family of organ donor meets with recipients
The Statesman - Austin, TX | Farzad Mashood
Photo: Rebecca Eiland, right, describes the sound Sunday as she listens to her son's heart beat inside of Denise Miles at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church. Miles, who had a leaking heart valve, received Heath Eiland's heart in a transplant operation after the teen's death. Eiland has since signed up to be an organ donor.
The beat of her son's heart was too faint through the stethoscope. So Rebecca Eiland put it aside and leaned in close, her ear listening for the lub-dub.
"Oh my gosh," she said, gasping, as she listened to her son's heart inside Denise Miles' chest.
Miles, who had a leaking heart valve, was the recipient of Heath Eiland's heart after the Anderson High School sophomore died following a skateboarding accident on May 10, 2011.
"It's difficult to realize that his heart was in my belly, but now it's in someone else, giving life to her. It's so hard to imagine," said Eiland, who met Miles, 40, and her family for the first time Sunday in a North Austin church.
Eiland and Miles were joined by Chris Mendez, 32, who received Heath's liver, in a small back room at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church.
Such meetings are rare between organ donors and recipients, said Michelle Segovia, a spokeswoman for the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance.
"Oh my gosh," she said, gasping, as she listened to her son's heart inside Denise Miles' chest.
Miles, who had a leaking heart valve, was the recipient of Heath Eiland's heart after the Anderson High School sophomore died following a skateboarding accident on May 10, 2011.
"It's difficult to realize that his heart was in my belly, but now it's in someone else, giving life to her. It's so hard to imagine," said Eiland, who met Miles, 40, and her family for the first time Sunday in a North Austin church.
Eiland and Miles were joined by Chris Mendez, 32, who received Heath's liver, in a small back room at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church.
Such meetings are rare between organ donors and recipients, said Michelle Segovia, a spokeswoman for the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance.
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