Pediatric Heart Recipient Meets Donor’s Mother

Working in the field of organ and tissue donation required profound sensitivity, as it is a matter of working with families through some of their most vulnerable moments.

When the mother of a pediatric heart recipient let me know she had connected via social media with her daughter’s donor mom, I wanted to allow the mothers to have the chance to meet in a way that was comfortable and intimate, while still ensuring the moment was shared with the public to illustrate the miracle of organ donation. I coordinated a private meeting between the mothers, Esther and Heather, and the heart recipient, Jordan, at Phoenix Children’s Hospital where the heart transplant was performed. I hired a private videographer to capture the moment they met for the first time to preserve the privacy and dignity of the experience.

Through strategic distribution of the photos, video, and story, the experience went internationally viral, racking up billions of broadcast and online views, social engagements, and headline clicks globally. To this day, it is my proudest professional work.

• 3 billion trackable earned media impressions

• 100% increase in donor registration in Arizona