Matt Heisler, a student at the University of North Dakota, died following a house fire in March.
KARE / Via kare11.com
The 21-year-old was a registered organ donor and as a result helped as many as 60 people following his death, including Vietnam veteran Tom Meeks, KARE 11 News reports.
According to KARE, Meeks was told in April 2011 he would die without a heart transplant after being diagnosed with a rare condition called amyloidosis.
KARE / Via kare11.com
However, he was rejected five times from different hospitals.
He eventually found himself on the waiting list at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and earlier this year discovered he would be receiving Heisler's heart.
Eight months after Matt's death, the student's parents and sister Casey went to meet the man carrying his heart.
KARE / Via kare11.com
KARE recorded the meeting.
Meeks told the news station: "I woke up this morning and told Matt that ‘mum and dad is coming today’."
KARE / Via kare11.com
Here's Matt's father, Jared, telling Meeks: "This is awesome."
KARE / Via kare11.com
KARE reported the Heisler family's first-born child, Alicia, died as a result of a heart defect at the age of four.
You can hear more about their story and watch the meeting with Meeks here:
Richard James is the News Director for BuzzFeed Australia and is based in Sydney.
Contact Richard James at richard.james@buzzfeed.com.
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