Fate and TV news unite grieving parents and the heart transplant recipient their son saved
Valerie Stebel stepped forward nervously and embraced a total stranger. Taking her hand, he placed it on the stethoscope that hung around his neck. With her head bowed, Valerie closed her eyes and felt her son's heart beating in the man's chest.
Every parent's worst nightmare is losing a child. It's against the natural order of things and a gut-wrenching prospect too horrifying to consider. But that was the sad reality faced by Valerie and David Stebel of Norwalk, Ohio, when their 20-year-old son, Cody, was killed in a car crash.
At the time of the accident, Cody was a new driver, having passed his test just a few months earlier. When he got his full license, he'd chosen to become an organ donor. And that selfless decision would impact many lives.
Via the nonprofit tissue and organ recovery organization, Lifebanc, Cody's organs were donated anonymously to six people. His heart was given to a 62-year-old former paramedic and CPR trainer, Gene Shimandle of Aurora, Ohio, who'd waited 12-years for a transplant.
After successful surgery at Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, Gene wrote a letter of thanks to Cody's family using first names only to maintain anonymity. It was the start of a beautiful friendship.
Gene thrived with his new heart, so much so that he was fit enough to enter a 5K Turkey Trot just six months after surgery. His remarkable story made the evening news, catching Valerie’s attention. Though she didn't know Gene's last name, she instinctively knew who he was.
Through the news channel, the Stebel family and Gene got in touch. And on the day of the Turkey Trot, they had an emotional meeting in which Valerie and David got to feel their beloved son's heartbeat once again.
Since then, Valerie, David, and Gene have become firm friends, bonded forever by an unspeakable tragedy that gave life and hope to so many.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Heart transplant survivor meets donor’s family in-person
