By chance, man meets the family of his organ donor while at a baseball game

(Image credit: iStock)

published 7 May 2019

A baseball game brought together two families who are now bonded for life.

Savannah Chavez Roesch's late brother, Donovan, was an organ donor, and his family received a letter last year from the man who received his heart. In a Facebook post, Roesch explained that the donor and recipient families don't know anything about each other — their names, ages, and locations are confidential — but she sent the man a few photos of Donovan so "they could put a face to his new heart."

In honor of Donovan, Roesch and her family recently attended the St. Louis Cardinals' Donate Life Day, wearing matching shirts featuring his picture. She heard someone ask if this was Donovan's family, and she thought it was someone who knew him from school or work. This woman recognized Donovan for a different reason: Her dad was the man who received his heart. Roesch wrote that she's sure "everyone in the ballpark heard our cries and shrieks of complete shock and joy." The families took photos together, and Roesch listened to the recipient's heartbeat. "I think Donovan arranged us to meet this way," she said. "What are the chances of this happening?"

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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