It's hard to find any silver lining at all when you're talking about a 16-year-old boy who had two strokes and eventually died of a congenital circulatory malformation. On Christmas Day, no less. But miraculously, the death of teen Caleb Beaver meant life to another human being. Caleb's tremendous gift of organ donation meant that Chuck Shelton, a psychiatrist, now has Caleb's heart. And what happened next is one of the most inspiring and heartbreaking and uplifting things you'll ever hear ...
After the death of her son, April Beaver found herself despairing one night and began to pray. "I asked God to let me have a dream or something,” she told WLOX-TV in Mississippi. “I wanted to feel close to Caleb's heart. I wanted to hear his heart beat."
As if on cue, God -- or at least Chuck Shelton -- answered. The next day, April received an email from him. He was the heart transplant recipient whose life had been saved thanks to Caleb's organ donation. He said he wanted to meet up and thank April in person.
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So Shelton flew into town, and met up with Caleb's family at the airport. Both Shelton and April took out stethescopes, and they listened to Caleb's heart beating in Shelton's chest.
"That's Caleb," his mother said, crying. "That's him," nodded Shelton.
Shelton told April that he now feels even better than he did before he got sick and that Caleb's heart is very strong. April said that heart donation is what Caleb would have wanted.
Organ donation is such an incredible gift. Not only can you save a life from beyond -- but, as in this case, it's sometimes a way for your family to continue to connect with you after death. Both April and Shelton say they feel like they're family now.
In the case of Caleb, he not only saved Chuck Shelton's life, but his donation allowed his mother to hear his heart again. So inspiring. Be warned, this video will make you bawl. But in a good way.
Are you an organ donor?
WLOX.com - The News for South Mississippi
Image via WLOX-TV
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Comments 22
cant' watch the video, I'm already weepy. So wonderful of the mom to give her son's organs and so wonderful of the recipient to help her through her pain.
I bet it was only because he was a psychiatrist that he knew this was the right thing to do and it was absolutely wonderful. What a wonderful, caring, understanding man he is.
Beautiful!
Just remember, though, that stating you're an organ donor on your driver's license isn't enough. Talk about your wishes with your family. Make sure they're completely aware. When a family is caught in the grief of having to discuss donation, many don't know what the person would have wanted, despite what it may say on a DL, and will choose to keep their family member "intact." <3
yes, I've done the thing on the drivers license and repeatedly told my family not to let my death be in vain... if a child could hear the crack of a bat or rain on the window, someone could see the face of their beloved, or walk again with tendons taken after I now longer need, them, then I will never die.
I sure am.
I am not an organ donor. I have a directive that allows for organ harvesting, if and when my DH and/or my ODS decide to "pull the plug." I don't want any harvest-happy doc reaping the goods of this mortal coil before I'm REALLY dead.
Absolutely - you don't need those parts anymore.