A video shows the touching moment that Heather Clark, a California mother, listens to her dead baby’s heartbeat for the first time inside 4-year-old transplant recipient Jordan Drake from Arizona.
Clark had the courage to turn the tragic death of her 7-month-old baby son in June 2013 into an opportunity to save the life of Jordan Drake, a little girl born with a debilitating congenital heart defect. She donated her dead baby’s heart to save Jordan’s life.
Clark met Jordan and her mother, Esther Gonzalez, on Friday, January 29, 2016, at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital — the first time since the June 22, 2013, heart transplant surgery that saved Jordan’s life.
The two parents met with the help of the non-profit organization Donor Network of Arizona.
The emotional moment that Clark listened to her dead son’s heartbeat for the first time in three years at the Phoenix’s Children’s Hospital was caught on video.
Clark lost her 7-month-old son, Lukas, in June 2013. Lukas reportedly died after being abused by his babysitter’s boyfriend.
Clark told Fox 10 Phoenix that she could not speak about the details of the circumstances of her son’s death because police authorities were conducting a criminal child abuse investigation.
Despite the pain of her personal loss, Clark was able to save lives by donating her baby’s organs to other children in need. She said she did not think twice about donating her son’s heart and organs to save the lives of other children.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VY7yB-hAZFo
“There is another family out there, somewhere, you know who’s feeling something of what I’m feeling, somewhat, and I have the chance to make them not go through what I’m about to go through,” Clark said.
“He [Lukas] was just so outgoing, he was just a little ham. If there was a camera in front of him he was either smiling or sticking his tongue out. He was just on the move, rolling, scooting, however he could get there, and that’s Jordan, just always going,” she added.
Jordan Drake was one of three children whose lives were saved by Clark’s heroic and selfless decision. Four-year-old Jordan from Arizona was born with a congenital heart defect and needed a new heart to live.
According to Fox 31 Denver (KDVR), Clark first announced on the “Justice for Lucas” Facebook page in December last year that she had contacted Jordan’s family and that she planned to meet the little girl and her family.
She posted a photo of Jordan to the Facebook page with the comment, “Today I have been in contact with a beautiful family. This beauty (Jordan) is the girl who has Lukas heart beating in her. One day I will meet her and squeeze her so tightly!”
“Thank you to her mom and dad who allow me to be a part of their lives. This is the best Christmas present I could have asked for,” she added.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1xGk4hKkuQ
In a January 22, 2016, post to the Facebook page, she wrote , “One week from today I will be listening to Lukas’ heartbeat once again. I will be holding Jordan in my arms showering her with love and kisses!”
Jordan had received Lukas’ heart when she was 18-months-old, but she was already 4-years-old on Friday, January 29, 2016, when she met Heather Clark for the first time.
“Amid the unthinkable grief of losing her son Lukas, Heather made a decision that saved three lives. Jordan received Lukas’ precious heart when she was just 18 months old,” reads a post to the Facebook page of the non-profit advocacy Donate Life Arizona.
“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.”
The video shows Heather Clark struggling to control her emotions as she listened with a stethoscope to her late son’s heart beating inside little Jordan Drake.
Mum Hears Son’s Heart Beat Again In Girl, 4 https://t.co/IZL3k7kRi9
— Sky News (@SkyNews) February 1, 2016
Mom Hears Dead Son Inside 4-Year-Old Girl – ‘Heather Clark donated her son’s heart after he died’ https://t.co/LcLvN8QvQQ
— WiLD 94.9 (@Wild949) February 1, 2016
“It’s [the heart] so strong,” she said and hugged and kissed Jordan.
Jordan also got to listen to Clark’s heartbeat.
The video shows Clark hugging Jordan.
“[An] amazing thing with donating his [Lukas’] organs is it gave me the chance to hold him [Lukas] again,” Clark said.
Jordan’s mother, Esther Gonzalez, also hugged Clark. Both women shed tears during the emotional meeting on Friday.
“I just can’t believe this is happening,” Gonzalez said, tearing up.
“I’m not going to say anything. I’m just going to hug her,” Gonzalez had said before meeting Clark. “I think I have run out of words at this point.”
“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,” she added.
Jordan presented Clark with a red teddy bear that produces a heartbeat sound when pressed. According to Fox 10 Phoenix , the heartbeat sound from the teddy was an audio recording of Lukas’ heartbeat.
When Jordan presented the teddy bear, Gonzalez told Clark, “That’s Lukas’ heartbeat.”
Clark thanked Jordan for the gift, describing it as “perfect.” She shared photographs of her late son Lukas with Jordan and her mother.
“We’re family now, we’re friends now, our families are families, we’ve brought our families together,” Gonzalez concluded.
According to Fox 31 Denver , Dr. Nigro, the surgeon who performed the heart transplant, was also present at the meeting.
[Image via Shutterstock]