What do you say to the strangers who saved your child's life? Or to the little boy who now has your child's heart beating in his chest? They are questions that are difficult, if not impossible, to answer.
Two families found themselves wrestling with those questions, and so many more, as strangers joined forever by the gift of life prepared to meet for the first time.
Recommended Videos
Tommy Schomaker of Rochester Hills, Mich., was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a severe condition that left the left side of his heart underdeveloped and unable to pump blood effectively. By the time Tommy turned 4 1/2 years old, he had undergone five open heart surgeries. In the spring of 2008, Tommy began showing signs of heart failure. Just over a year later, he was placed on the list to wait for a heart transplant.
On June 3, 2009, the miracle his family had prayed for finally arrived. Tommy received a new heart. It was a precious gift, that came just in time.
Now two years later, Tommy is finally adjusting to a more normal life.
"He's just this little boy that's all the sudden entering life, but he missed out on some key years of development," said Colleen Schomaker, Tommy's mother. "Now that he has this heart that is a normally functioning heart and he's got this energy, he's just sort of you know exploding into it."
"We knew his energy was going to be more, but that still surprises us how much more energy he has," said Mike Schomaker, Tommy's father. "Shooting baskets and running around, those are things that it just takes your breath away because you're just so not used to seeing that."
At first, Tommy's family had no idea who the donor was, but they've since learned the heart came from a little girl in Minnesota named Audrey. She was five years old, loved to dance and had two big brothers.
"She was a very spiritual, bright, beautiful little girl who loved people and who would light up a room when she walked in it," said Krista Erickson, Audrey's mother.
"Audrey was basically a social butterfly," said Sean Erickson, Audrey's father. "She always put a smile on your face. Everybody that met her adored her."
Audrey had acandraplasia dwarfism, but Krista Erickson said she had few health problems, aside from needing a shunt when she was three years old.
That suddenly changed two years ago.
"When she became 5 is when she became ill with the right side of her body going numb, and we didn't know why she was very sick for quite a few months," said Krista Erickson.
Doctors eventually diagnosed Audrey with a Chiari malformation type I. Chiari malformations are structural defects in the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls balance. Doctors told the Ericksons Audrey needed surgery to correct the problem.
"Everything went great with the Chiari surgery," said Krista Erickson.
Audrey seemed to be recovering, but doctors said she had to remain in the hospital until she learned how to swallow the medicines she needed to go home. Then things took a sudden turn for the worse.
"We were in the hospital about 25, 26 days, and she ended up becoming very sick, and they diagnosed her with chemical meningitis," said Krista Erickson. "They started giving her tons of antibiotics, and that night she woke up and told us she didn't feel good and we told her it was ok and that we loved her and we were there and then that was it."
Audrey suffered multiple strokes and was unresponsive. Doctors told the Ericksons there was no chance she could ever recover.
"My younger son wanted to do organ donation, and that is where we came upon this," said Krista Erickson. "That was the right decision to do because she loved people, and she loved life."
Audrey's liver went to a 9-month-old girl. Her kidney went to a 23-year-old college student. And her heart went to Tommy.
"I always hoped and prayed that the one who had her heart would be the ones we would hear from," said Krista Erickson. "That is where your heart and your soul comes from."
After exchanging letters, Colleen Schomaker and Krista Erickson began e-mailing each other. In August, the families decided it was finally time to meet face to face.
"I'm anxious and nervous, and I'm excited, so I have all these emotions going on," said Colleen Schomaker. "Right away after we got home from the hospital after his transplant, my thoughts were always with that family."
"I'm feeling good, 'cause I get to meet them," said Tommy Schomaker.
As the families finally met in a hotel conference room in Minneapolis, the adults wiped away tears.
"They're happy tears," said Krista Erickson.
"We walked in, and it was just overwhelming, but so wonderful too," said Colleen Schomaker.
The Ericksons gave the Schomakers a scrapbook of Audrey's life and a special photo book just for Tommy.
"It was kind of a sensation of feeling at ease, like you have known them for a long time, and here's part of your family," said Sean Erickson.
After spending the weekend sightseeing and getting to know each other, both sides agree, this is just the beginning.
"We will see each other again, and probably bring our extended families into the mix at some point," said Colleen Schomaker.
"We're just blessed beyond belief by the relationships we're developing and by the recognizing how every moment of life is precious and you forget that," said Mike Schomaker.
Audrey's family calls her their "social butterfly," and butterflies have become a very special symbol to them. As the two families were saying goodbye inside the airport, they suddenly noticed a butterfly fluttering nearby.
"People who are not organ donors, please change your mind to be an organ donor because you really can make a difference in somebody's life," said Krista Erickson.
"To see Tommy running around and being active and having Audrey's heart in him, it just amazing that he is living life," said Sean Erickson.
As for Tommy's future...
"All I can say is he was meant to be able to stay," said Krista Erickson. "He has a purpose, and he was meant to stay here and here he is."
Watch:Watch:
To learn more about organ donation, click here.
To join the Michigan Organ Donor Registry, click here.
To join the Minnesota Organ Donor Registry, click here.