'It seemed like a connection.' heart recipient meets family of organ donor
The family connected and have kept in constant daily contact. They scheduled to meet in-person on Saturday.
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Two families are now one.
Stanley Wasicki was 21 years old when he died on Nov. 2, 2021.
His father Gene Wasicki made the decision to donate Stanley's organs.
"I knew that my son would want me to help somebody because that's how he was," Wasicki said.
Little did they know losing Stanley would bring them an additional family.
Dezaree Payne, of Pennsylvania, was the recipient who received Stanley's heart.
She had been in a hospital for four months waiting for a new heart.
Payne said she wrote a letter immediately after recovering but Stanley's family only received the letter three months ago.
"It seemed like a connection,"Payne said.
The family connected and have kept in constant daily contact. They scheduled to meet in-person on Saturday.
"I felt the love, right away," said Henry Wasicki, Stanley's brother.
"We speak every single day, she's amazing, beautiful person. I can't think of anybody else. I'm so happy that she has his heart," said Beverly Egan, Stanley's grandmother.
"I tell her 'I love her.' She's a good person too, she has a good heart, she has Stanley's heart but she's a good-hearted person too," said Gene Wasicki.
The two families hope their story demonstrates the impact organ donation has and the importance of it.
"Like I gave them something, but they gave me something, they gave me life," Payne said.
In total, Stanley saved four lives.
