CLEVELAND (WJW) – An 8-year-old girl got a second chance at life after receiving a life-saving heart transplant at the Cleveland Clinic. Last summer, a mother was overcome with emotion when she was given the chance to meet that 8-year-old, who had received her late daughter’s heart.
Video shared by the Cleveland Clinic on TikTok shows the moment Lisa Schein got the chance to listen to her daughter’s donor heart beating inside Mireya Moody on Aug. 24, 2024.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, Schein made the decision to donate her daughter Maddy’s organs after she died from an ATV accident at just 8 years old.
As a result, Mireya’s mother, Bianca Robinson, received a call in April 2022 letting her know that a donor heart was available for Mireya.
In January 2022, Mireya was an energetic 4-year-old when her life suddenly changed. She was diagnosed with left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy, a rare and incurable condition that can lead to heart failure, the Cleveland Clinic said.
After Mireya had a successful heart transplant, Bianca Robinson and Schein connected about one year later. As they shared stories about Mireya and Maddy, both moms were amazed by the girls’ similarities, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
While meeting at a park near Mireya’s home in University Heights, Schein listened to her daughter’s donated heart, and Mireya felt as though she needed to give Schein a hug.
“It was a long embrace that solidified an unbreakable bond,” the Cleveland Clinic post reads.
“I also loved being able to tell them stories about who Maddy was — about her infectious laugh and bubbly personality. I think that’s when my heart began to start healing,” Schein said, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Mireya loves stuffed toys, as did Maddy. Mireya’s favorite, which she sleeps with every night, is a cuddly plushie, shaped like an avocado. It was a gift from the Schein family at their first meeting. Mireya named it Maddy.
According to Lifeline of Ohio, Maddy gave the gift of life to four people. One of them was Mireya.