Man Learns His Adopted Daughter Carries Heart of His Late Son – Story of the Day

Six years after his son's death, a man adopted a little girl thinking it would lessen his pain. When he visited the hospital for the girl's monthly checkup, he discovered something that made him cry.

Jeremy had married the love of his life, Sarah, and welcomed his son soon after his marriage. He couldn't control his tears when he held his boy, Arthur, in his arms for the first time.

The man worked as a manager at a company, while Sarah stayed at home to look after Arthur. Together, the couple gave their son everything he needed. They thought he would grow up, go to school, graduate with a degree, and land a good job like everyone else until they learned about fate's plans.

When Arthur turned four, the doctors diagnosed him with an autoimmune condition with no cure. They told Jeremy and Sarah there was nothing they could do to save the little boy.

"Please save our son. We are ready to pay whatever it takes!" Jeremy begged the doctor.

"I'm sorry, sir," the doctor apologized. "Your son's condition has no cure. We suggest you take him home, so he spends the last few days of his life with you and your wife."

Jeremy and Sarah visited multiple hospitals with their son, but all doctors told them the same thing. They tried their best to save their child's life, but nothing worked.

"We can save the girl's life at the cost of Arthur's."

After taking Arthur home, Jeremy and Sarah decided to donate his organs after his death. "We would see him live in other children. That's the only way we can keep our son alive," Jeremy said.

It was not easy for the couple to come to this conclusion, but they thought this was the best way to honor their little one. They wanted to give him a lifetime of happiness, but fate had other plans.

Once they informed the hospital about their plan to donate Arthur's organs, the management connected them with the parents of a dying girl who needed a heart transplant.

"Do you think we should go ahead with this?" Sarah asked Jeremy. "We can save the girl's life at the cost of Arthur's."

Jeremy nodded while tears trickled down his cheeks. Deciding to donate their son's organs wasn't easy, but the thought of saving other children's lives motivated the couple to go ahead.

The heart transplant surgery went successful, and the little girl got another chance to live. Her parents thanked Jeremy and Sarah. "We are forever grateful to you!" they said.

Meanwhile, Jeremy and Sarah grew apart after their son's death. Every corner of the house reminded them of Arthur, and it was getting difficult for them to live in their home.

Jeremy would often leave the house in the evening and sit in the nearby park. Over there, he would close his eyes and take deep breaths, hoping it would ease his pain.

One day, he returned from the park and saw Sarah standing at the doorsteps with three big suitcases. Confused, he asked her where she was going.

"I'm leaving, Jeremy," she said while looking at the ground.

Before Jeremy could ask anything, a cab arrived, and Sarah loaded her bags in the trunk. "I don't have anything else to say, Jeremy," she said before sitting in the backseat and shutting the door.

Six years later...

Jeremy still couldn't get over Arthur's death. He lived in the same house where he had watched his son play with toys and had never seen his wife again after the day she left him.

"Mr. Jeremy, I think you need to find an outlet to express your love for Arthur," the psychologist told Jeremy.

Years after losing his son, the man consulted a psychologist to help him manage his grief. After a few sessions, the psychologist found a solution.

"I think you should adopt a child," the psychologist said. "Becoming a parent again will help you because your love for Arthur is still in your heart. Loving another child will lessen your pain."

Jeremy nodded in the psychologist's office but was still unsure if he was ready to adopt a child. What if I lose this child like I lost my son? he wondered.

After thinking for a few weeks, Jeremy visited a child shelter to see how it felt being around them. When he entered the shelter, he felt happy to see so many children playing with toys.

One girl caught his attention among all the children. He knelt beside her and introduced himself.

"Hi, I'm Jeremy. What's your name?" he asked her.

The girl raised her head and smiled at him. Then, she stood up and ran to play with the other children. Her eyes are so beautiful! Jeremy thought.

Jeremy felt drawn to the little girl, so he visited the shelter several times before deciding to adopt the girl. He completed the paperwork and waited for permission to take her home.

Once his adoption application was accepted, child services called Jeremy for a meeting. They told him that the little girl, Julie, needed regular medical checkups once a month and asked him to sign some papers before allowing him to take her home.

The man enjoyed Julie's company and gave her everything she needed. When it was time for her medical checkup, he took her to the hospital, unaware that he would learn a shocking truth over there.

"I'm so sorry for leaving you alone, Jeremy," she said.

After the doctors learned about Julie's adoption, they thought it was necessary to tell Jeremy about her health history. They told him she had a heart transplant six years ago.

He froze when he saw the details of the surgery.

"The date, the place... could this be...?" Jeremy gasped for breath as he gripped his head.

It wasn't easy to know for sure, but luckily, Jeremy's contacts were able to verify the truth in just a couple of hours.

Julie, the girl he adopted to give all the love he couldn't give his son, had his son's heart.

Tears started to roll down Jeremy's cheeks when he learned Julie was living with his late son's heart. He hugged the little girl tightly and pressed his ear against her chest to hear her heartbeat.

"That's my son's heart!" he cried. "My little Arthur!"

A few weeks later, Jeremy thought of sharing the news with Sarah. Although they didn't live together, he felt she deserved to know that her son's heart was beating inside his adopted daughter's chest.

Instead of calling her to break the news, Jeremy recorded Julie's heartbeat on a voice recorder and placed it inside a teddy bear. When Sarah received it, she couldn't help but visit Jeremy's house.

"I'm so sorry for leaving you alone, Jeremy," she said. "I just couldn't live here anymore because everything reminded me of Arthur."

"I can understand, Sarah," Jeremy replied. "But why did you leave me?"

"I thought leaving this house was the best way to let time heal things," she said. "I never wanted to hurt you, Jeremy. I still love you a lot."

After hearing her explanation, Jeremy understood her feelings and forgave her. However, he still didn't tell her about Arthur's heart.

After a few more meetings, Jeremy offered Sarah to move in with him. "There's something I want to tell you, Sarah. You won't believe it," he said.

"What is it?" Sarah asked excitedly.

"Do you remember the girl who received Arthur's heart?"

"Yes, I remember her."

"She's my adopted daughter, Sarah," Jeremy smiled. "Her parents died in a car crash, and the authorities took her to a shelter."

"What?" Sarah burst into tears. "You mean she has my little Arthur's heart? Oh my..."

After meeting Julie, Sarah accepted Jeremy's offer and moved in with him. The couple lived together like before and raised Julie like their own child.

What can we learn from this story?

• Fate surprises you in unexpected ways. When Jeremy and Sarah agreed to donate Arthur's organs to Julie, they had no idea that fate would bring her back to them. It was a surprise that changed their lives positively.
• Learn to forgive others. Despite living apart from his wife for years, Jeremy forgave her after hearing her explanation. He understood her feelings and thought it was best to let things go.

Share this story with your friends and family. It might inspire them and brighten their day.

Click here to read another story about an adopted girl who cried when no one came to her birthday party. She thought she could never make friends.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.