Ohio mother meets eight-year-old girl who received her late daughter’s donated heart

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - A mother was overcome with emotion last summer when she was given the chance to meet the eight-year-old who had received her late daughter's heart.

Footage shared by the Cleveland Clinic shows the moment Lisa Schein was able to listen to her daughter's donor heart "beating strongly" inside Mireya Moody while meeting at a park near Moody's home in University Heights, Ohio, on August 24, 2024.

The Cleveland Clinic said Schein made the decision to donate her daughter Maddy's organs after she died from an ATV accident, and as a result, Moody's mother, Bianca Robinson, received a call in April 2022 letting her know that a donor heart was available for Moody.

In January 2022, Moody had been diagnosed with left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) cardiomyopathy, a rare and incurable condition that can lead to heart failure.

"Pediatric heart transplants have seen significant advancements over the years, giving children like Mireya a second chance at life," Cleveland Clinic Children's pediatric and congenital heart surgeon Hani Najm, MD, said in a statement. "However, the key to this life-saving surgery still lies with those who become organ donors. The generosity of the donor and their family can turn into a hopeful beginning for someone else."

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