I couldn't help but shed a tear while reading about little 8-year-old Avery Toole, who is lucky to be alive today because of the amazing generosity of complete strangers. The Boston girl was born with a rare heart defect and was in desperate need of a transplant, and her wish came true through another family's loss. You see, the Lawyer family from Ohio, had just lost their 8-year-old son Dalton in a terrible biking accident, and immediately upon learning that he was brain dead, decided to donate his functioning organs.
A tragedy became a blessing when doctors replaced Avery's heart with Dalton's this past August, resulting in a life-long bond between the two families who lived more than 700 miles apart. They finally met on the day that Avery received her heart transplant at Children's Hospital Boston and the families immediately forged a new "family".
Stories such as these move me because they show you don't have to be related to consider someone else family. The Lawyer's now visit the Toole's several times a year and maintain a shared charity meant to increase organ donation awareness for the Children's Hospital Boston–where Avery spent most of her early life.
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The Toole's even went against the time frame recommended to contact a donor's family and mailed a letter thanking them within three months of the transplant. Although the Lawyer's suffered a great loss with Dalton, they have 9- year-old triplets who have created a special relationship with Avery and even call her their sister. Even cuter is the fact that Avery lets them listen to her brother's heart as a way for them to maintain a connection to him.
It's amazing how one day the Toole family seemed to be destined for tragedy, but fate decided that it wasn't Avery's time yet and blessed her with a perfect match. As Dalton's dad, Jim Lawyer put it, "I think Dalton's heart was destined for Avery." Aw! Just goes to show that abuelita was right when she said: "No hay mal que por bien no venga"
Embedded content: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E7u8kFLZfk
Images via Lawyer & Toole Familes
