14 years after losing son, parents got a call from the girl carrying his heart — with an unexpected request
Their son Noah died in 2011, and his donated heart saved her when she was just 9 years old.
Greer Underwood’s wedding was already set to be one of the most meaningful days of her life, but what made it extraordinary was who sat in the front row. On August 9 at Sweetwater Depot in Florence, Alabama, Underwood married Peyton Cash, with her mother Dawn Woodall, her surgeon Dr. James Kirklin, and Wil and Rhena Worthington — the parents of the boy whose heart has kept her alive for more than fourteen years — all in attendance, according to PEOPLE.
Back in 2011, Underwood was only 9 years old when she was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a disease that weakens the heart muscle. According to a 2021 review titled Overview of Cardiomyopathies in Childhood, the annual incidence of childhood cardiomyopathies is about 1 per 100,000 children, and is even higher in children under 2 years old. After suffering a stroke, Underwood was rushed to UAB Hospital in Birmingham, where doctors told her family that she was in heart failure and needed a transplant. At the same time, the Worthingtons were facing every parent’s nightmare. Their 11-year-old son Noah had been left brain-dead after a car accident, and on May 8, Mother’s Day, they were asked about organ donation.
Wil remembered that at first he could not bring himself to agree. "We were told that Noah probably wouldn’t make it. They asked us if we wanted Noah to be an organ donor, and I was very angry, and I told them no," he said. But then, everything shifted. "Suddenly, a feeling washed over me. I felt it was coming from Noah, who was telling me not to let a tragedy breed another tragedy. I called the doctors back into the room, and we told them we approved of them donating Noah’s organs." That decision saved five lives, including Greer’s. She recalls fragments from that time before the surgery, getting a haircut, time spent in the hospital, and a feeling that the timing was nothing short of miraculous.
"I remember it being a God thing. I was in the fourth grade, I needed a heart and a heart came my way on the first try," she said. What she couldn’t grasp then was that her chance to live had come from a family who was mourning the loss of their child. In the months that followed, the Underwoods connected with the Worthingtons, and over the years, that relationship deepened, built on grief, gratitude, and the knowledge that Noah’s heart was still beating in Greer. When her wedding day finally came, inviting Wil and Rhena was never a question. "It was the least I could do," she said. "Their son saved my life."
For the Worthingtons, being there brought both pride and longing. "To see Greer healthy and happy and walk down the aisle makes us proud of Noah," Rhena said, explaining that the sight of Greer reminded them of the milestones they had lost with their son but also gave them joy to see the young woman she had become. "Watching Greer reminded us of the many things we were missing with Noah, but at the same time, we were so happy that Greer had her life back." Now 23, Greer often reflects on the extraordinary fact that she has lived with Noah’s heart longer than he was able to. Unlike many transplant recipients who face complications, Greer has never experienced a setback. "I didn’t have a single problem, nor do I have a single problem today."
More on Scoop Upworthy
Nurse adopts a homeless man with autism she just met to help him get a heart transplant
Mom-of-4 dies days after childbirth, donates 12 organs to save lives, fulfilling last wish
Share on Facebook
