Dad was gifted teddy bear by man who received son's heart. When he pressed 'play' on its paw — he broke down

When John Reid lost his 16-year-old son, Dakota, in a car crash in January 2019, everything changed. Knowing that his son would never come back home again, the Virginia father chose to donate his son’s organs, hoping that somewhere, someone might be saved. Nearly a year later, a package arrived from the man who had received Dakota’s heart. Inside was a Build-A-Bear wearing a "Best Dad Ever" shirt, with a recording of Dakota’s heartbeat, as per People. Dakota’s heart had been transplanted into Robert O’Connor — a man from Massachusetts who had spent weeks on life support at Tufts Medical Center.

"I would have preferred to give this to you in person, but not sure when that would happen," O’Connor wrote in a letter included with the gift. O’Connor had been living with cardiomyopathy for a decade before his condition worsened — he wasn't sure he would survive it. However, when Dakota's heart was identified as a match, the transplant saved his life. Stephanie Reid, Dakota’s stepmother, captured the moment John opened the package in a video and posted it on Facebook, which was later shared by various media outlets, including GMA. As John pressed the bear’s paw and heard the sound of his son’s heart, he broke down.

He told CBS News, "I never left Dakota's side. At night, I would lie my head on his chest for hours at a time, every night, listening to his heartbeat. Now, thanks to Bob, I can listen to his heartbeat again!" The families hadn’t known each other before the transplant, but O’Connor’s daughter eventually found and contacted the Reids. Stephanie told People, "We feel like we have a part of him with us now. It’s just amazing. Dakota was able to give the ultimate gift of life, and we consider him a hero for it." John added, "The gift reminded me of why I donated his organs and how much of a hero my son became. The feeling is absolutely beyond description of anything in this world." The Reids had hoped to meet O’Connor in person that year, strengthening a bond forged by nature and science.

Stephanie said, "We definitely plan to meet Bob, hopefully sometime this year. It’s so important for us to meet him. I think on that day we will feel some sadness, but mostly happiness for Bob and for Dakota being such a hero." They also talked often. "We are blood now! We are family!" John exclaimed. Dakota’s donations didn’t stop with Robert — his kidneys and pancreas went to a farmer, and his eyes helped a 21-year-old regain vision. John said, "It was so comforting and fulfilling to know he lives on. It has helped us so much to know he helped save lives. It is the best healing and comfort I could ever ask for. For sure, it is a part of God’s plan." 

The Reids were also vocal about organ donation and its impact, highlighting just how much it could mean to someone and their family. "To give the gift of life is to continue God’s plan for both the donor families and the recipient. We want to share our stories to promote organ donations and show families how it really helps the donor families with healing and closure to know their loved one lives on," John said. Stephanie added, "He helped five lives. We hadn’t thought about it much before, but it just made sense, and now it means everything to us."