College student Matthew Heisler died in a house fire, but his heart beats on in the chest of Tom Meeks.(Photo: KARE)
ROCHESTER, Minn. - Throughout life, we all wait for something or someone.
Tom Meeks spent three years waiting for a heart transplant. Back in April of 2011, the Vietnam Veteran was diagnosed with a rare heart disease called amyloidosis. Doctors said he wouldn't survive without a transplant
But before Meeks, who lives in Washington State, was put on a waiting list for a transplant, he was rejected five times by different hospitals. As he waited and held out hope, his liver was malfunctioning.
Meeks was led to the Mayo Clinic. Meeks said doctors didn't make any promises but told him they would run the test to see if he was eligible to be placed on a waiting list.
Turns out, he met five of the six requirements.
In November of 2013, Meeks and his wife, Ann, packed their bags and moved to Rochester where they would wait for the call.
That call came in March. His wait was finally over.
And while Meeks and his wife got the call they hoped for, the Heisler family got a call no family wants. It was Sunday. The call came at 4 a.m.
"I was sitting on the steps and I heard my dad say, 'Are you sure it's Matt?'" Casey Heisler said. "I thought I was dreaming."
Matthew Heisler, 21, a student at the University of North Dakota, had been involved in a house fire. His friend and roommate, Ryan Nelson, pulled Matthew Heisler from the burning home and performed CPR until help arrived.
Turns out, Matthew Heisler signed up to be organ donor when he was 16 years old. After renewing his driver's license, Matthew Heisler asked his father, Jared, what he had done by "checking the organ donor box."
"He made the decision that if life ever slipped away from him, he would give life to someone else," Jared Heisler said.
And that decision was no small feat. Tom, who waited nearly three years for a lifeline, now lives with Matthew's heart.
Watch the video above to see the Heisler family's reaction when they got to listen to Matt's heart.
For more information and frequently asked questions about organ donation, visit the
Life Source website.
The Heisler family has also set up a scholarship in Matthew's honor at Provincial Bank.
P.O. Box 459 Lakeville, MN 55044
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