A Woman Who Received a Life-Saving Organ Transplant Asks the Donor’s Dad to Walk Her Down the Aisle
When Diana Donnarumma got married on August 13th, 2021, and 2 men walked her down the aisle. One was her own dad, and the other was the father of the woman who gave her a second lease on life.
Today, Bright Side is taking a closer look into this touching story of how an organ recipient paid tribute to her donor during one of the most important days of her life.
In October 2017, just 3 days before her wedding day, a 26-year-old Texan woman named Heather Renee Donnelly was in a car accident while on her way to a friend’s party. Heather didn’t survive the accident, and her father, Daniel Donnelly Jr., never got the chance to walk his daughter down the aisle.
Little did Daniel know that her daughter consented to be an organ donor when she was still alive. This noble act would soon extend the lives of 8 more people, including Diana Donnarumma, a woman from Clarence in northeast Buffalo.
For 8 years, Diana had been suffering from a gastrointestinal condition so severe that she had to have medical assistance to receive her nutrition.
Luckily, in 2017, she received a life-saving intestinal transplant, all thanks to Heather.
In October of that year, Diana finally underwent surgery that took 8 hours. While she continues to struggle with being on continuous medication, Diana’s condition is so much better than before.
In 2019, Diana’s partner, Conlan Kehrer, proposed to her. And deep down, Diana knew she wanted her donor’s father to participate in the wedding. She knew it would mean a lot to Daniel, whose daughter didn’t live long enough to tie the knot.
When Diana’s big day finally came, she asked Daniel to walk her halfway down the aisle as if she were his own daughter. Although witnessing Diana’s wedding was admittedly tough for Daniel, he was overwhelmed by how many people thanked him and his daughter for saving Diana.
For Diana, it was the least she could do to honor the memory of Heather. For Daniel, it was a full-circle moment that he will cherish forever.
How about you? Have you witnessed a modern-day miracle like this recently? Share your own touching story in the comments!
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