She received a boy’s heart in a lifesaving transplant—showed up at his parents' doorstep with a special invitation 14 years later
Organ donation might bond families in more ways than one. A bride had received her heart from a young boy as a child. The boy, 11-year-old Noah, lost his life in a car accident that left him brain-dead. At the same time, the then 9-year-old Greer Underwood was in need of a heart transplant for a life-saving procedure and received it from Noah back in 2011. So when she decided to get married, she knew she had to invite Noah's parents, Wil and Rhena Worthington, who played a huge role in making the day possible, per AL.com.
Underwood had been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy when she was just nine years old. It is a condition involving the heart muscles that makes it harder for the heart to pump blood and can lead to heart failure, per Mayo Clinic. The woman was going through heart failure, too and had to be taken to the UAB Hospital in Birmingham. She had a stroke there and didn't remember much about the incident. Underwood recounted that she had a haircut before the surgery and she really needed a heart. However, her family hadn't expected that they would get it on their first try. On the other hand, Noah's parents were told that their son would probably not make it after the car crash.
"They asked us if we wanted Noah to be an organ donor and I was very angry and I told them no," the dad, Wil, recalled. "Suddenly, a feeling washed over me. I felt it was coming from Noah, who was telling me not to let a tragedy breed another tragedy. I called the doctors back into the room and we told them we approved of them donating Noah’s organs." The boy ended up saving five lives because of his organs. So once Underwood went through the procedure, her parents worked to get in touch with Noah's parents and decided to become a part of their lives. So when Underwood got married to Peyton Cash 14 years later, she knew she had to invite the Worthingtons.
"It was the least I could do. Their son saved my life," the bride pointed out. They shared the front row seats with the bride's mom, Dawn Woodall and the doctor who performed her surgery, Dr. James Kirklin. According to a 2024 report by the Health Resources and Services Administration, 103,233 people are on the organ waiting list in the country. A new patient is added to the transplant waiting list every 8 minutes. 3,456 people were waiting for a heart transplant in September 2024. While each donor can save 8 lives and make 75 other lives better.
"To see Greer healthy and happy and walk down the aisle makes us proud of Noah," Rhena expressed. The mom was hurting for her son, but was also happy that Underwood could live her life to the fullest. "Watching Greer reminded us of the many things we were missing with Noah, but at the same time, we were so happy that Greer had her life back." Underwood had been doing well after her surgery. "You hear a lot about heart transplant patients having issues, but I didn’t have a single problem, nor do I have a single problem today," she explained.
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