Organ Recipient, Donor Family Meet After Almost Six Years
11-year-old gets heart of boy killed in accident
Last updated Friday, November 18, 2005 9:57 PM CST in News
By Jaclyn Houghton
The Morning News
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HIGHFILL -- Luke Osburn nervously awaited a gift that was almost six years overdue.
He met the 11-year-old recipient of his son's heart.
"To me, that's still a part of my son beating in someone," Osburn said, while repeatedly glancing at the escalator at Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport on Friday. He said he was eager to meet the organ recipient, DaQuan Hart, and his mother Renee, but had never been so nervous in his life.
Osburn's son, Nathan, died in March of 2000 at the age of 7. Nathan was driving a brand-new go cart in a parking lot in Fayetteville, hit a pothole and struck a vehicle on U.S. 71B. He broke his neck and died soon after the crash, Luke said. The family was then contacted by the Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency to donate Nathan's organs.
"It was an easy decision to make," said Luke, of Fayetteville. The Osburn family previously met the recipient of Nathan's kidney, but has wanted to meet DaQuan for years.
"You have all the organs, but the heart is the biggest thing," said Nathan's aunt, Sharon Stilwell of Springdale. "We've waited years for the day and now we're going to spoil him rotten while he's here."
DaQuan and his mother flew in from Chicago for today's "Hope for the Holidays" event hosted by the agency.
The event allows the families of organ donors to tell their stories and provide support during the difficult holiday season, said Boyd Ward, executive director of the agency.
Renee said the event gave her and DaQuan a reason to meet the family she already feels close to.
"I just wanted to see the family that was kind enough to keep my son alive," she said.
DaQuan was born with congenital heart disease and received Nathan's heart when he was 6 years old. She said she will continue to stay in touch with the family because DaQuan is part of the Osburns.
Ward said the nonprofit agency works with about 60 to 70 donor families each year and helps join the donor families with organ recipients. He said bringing the families together helps provide closure after a loved one's death.
"For the donor family, it's confirmation that the gift really means something," Ward said.
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