SPRINGFIELD, NJ — Two years ago, Lisa Vecchione received a new heart from a donor. What she didn’t expect was connecting with his family in the most beautiful way.
The Springfield resident was an extremely active person. She and her husband had dirt bikes and motorcycles. They traveled the country, just shy of 10 states. “We love doing things,” she said.
But when Vecchione had heart failure, her life changed.
“I was immediately told ‘no more stress.’ It’s extremely hard to avoid,” she said. “Cardiac arrest could happen at any moment. I had to keep my heart calm as possible.”
Her world then became very small. “I wouldn’t drive anywhere but local,” she said. “I had to stop working. I gave up jobs I loved. Everything became too much for me. Going to church and coming home became the main things I did. If I walked around at a car show, I would be useless the next three days. I’d be fine, then my blood pressure would get insane. I would be so short of breath. I couldn’t be out in the heat. The heat was the worst for me, and I love summertime. I grew up my whole life at the beach and I couldn’t do that anymore.”
Vecchione spent a lot of time on the couch – praying.
After 10 years of struggling with a failing heart, on June 20, 2022, her prayers were answered in the form of a selfless act of an organ donor. The donated heart belonged to Michael J. Canada, a father of three from Woburn, Massachusetts. His untimely passing gave Vecchione a chance to live.
Two weeks after she received her heart, she wrote a letter to Michael’s family.
As time passed, Vecchione wrote three more letters, and they responded back.
They decided to meet in NJ Sharing Network’s Meditation Garden, a place dedicated to honoring donors and celebrating life. “It’s breathtaking,” said Vecchione. “It’s very touching for me to be in that garden. That will make them feel safe and secure. I’ve seen family sitting there. You can see them at peace.”
Vecchione met Jessica Canada, Michael’s mom; Jaliesa Andrade, the mother of his children; and his two daughters, Audriana and Aalyiah.
They had an immediate connection and Audriana listened to Michael’s heartbeat inside of Vecchione.
Vecchione made a stuffed doll with Michael’s photo on it, with heart chips inside, so the girls could hear his heart. She calls the girls her “heart children.”
So far, they have all met twice. The second time, Vecchione was invited to speak in Boston, and Michael’s entire family came to hear her talk about the experience of receiving Michael’s heart. “I hope to do more public speaking,” she said. “Education is key to me. There’s a lot of fear based around organ donation. I want people to understand how amazing it’s made my life. I can breathe again. I can walk again. It’s an amazing world for me now.”
Vecchione is a volunteer at NJ Sharing Network.
To learn more about NJ Sharing Network, visit: https://www.njsharingnetwork.org/.
Photos courtesy of NJ Sharing Network