The family of Matt Heisler were left devastated by his death in a house fire back in March.

 

But the 21-year-old's parents and younger sister took some comfort in the knowledge that Matt was an organ donor and that his heart could be passed on to someone in need.

 

Earlier this week, the Heisler family met the man who had been given the gift of life following Matt's tragic death.

 

61-year-old Tom Meeks has a rare heart condition called amyloidosis. Due to his age, he was turned away by five hospitals, but eventually found a clinic willing to place him on their transplant list.

 

Eight months after Matt's death and a successful heart transplant, the Heislers were able to hear Matt's heart beating in Tom's chest.

 

The family became emotional during the meeting, with his sister Casey saying she was happy to once again hear "the heart that I grew up with and felt in all of my hugs when I hugged him."

 

 

Matt signed up to become a donor aged 16, and during the meeting with Tom, his father Jared praised the decision.

 

"I'm really proud of Matt," he said. "He made the decision that if life ever slipped away from him, he would give life to someone else."

 

As well as saving Tom's life, Matt's organs are believed to have helped 60 other people - including a 46-year-old woman in need of a kidney transplant.

 

Watch the meeting in full here:

 

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