Apex, NC (WRAL) – A 7-year-old North Carolina boy carried part of his late son down the aisle, slapping his chest and giving his bride a bittersweet wedding gift.
The heart of 7-year-old Saleh Ahmad was beating the heart that was donated to 4-year-old Myles Godfrey, who was killed in a car accident two years ago. Miles' mother, Kachi Wilson, invited Sale and his family to a wedding in Georgia over the weekend. The family met in person for the first time before the ceremony, and Wilson heard Sale's heartbeat with a stethoscope.
“That's all I was hearing,” Wilson said. “I didn't hear anything that anyone was saying. I didn't hear anything else. I couldn't even put it into words. It was insane to hear his heartbeat again.”
On April 18, 2023, Wilson and her sons were pulling into the driveway when someone hit a car from behind and went 60 mph. She says Godfrey has left him with a major brain injury.
“He was in the hospital for a few days and we had to decide to take him out of everything,” Wilson said. “Whether that's his decision, he'll want us to help someone else.”
Meanwhile, Sale, hundreds of miles away, was on the waiting list for a heart transplant for three years. His mother, Yara Ahmad, says her son was born in a serious heart condition.
“We had faith and prayer that something might change the situation,” Ahmad said when I had a heart transplant from Miles in April 2023.
After the transplant, Saleh began going to school and now plays like other children.
“Previously, he was always in the hospital and didn't live as a normal child, but now his life is just beginning,” Ahmad said. “It changed the whole family… we're grateful.”
Since then, the two mothers have been tied up together and have been texting and calling for many years. Wilson says he wanted to surprise his family by inviting Sale to his wedding. She and the seven-year-old walked hand in hand down the aisle.
“Now we think of it all as a family,” Wilson said. “Not everyone gets this experience, so it's amazing to allow it to happen on our part.”
“She lost her son, but found him on her heartbeat,” Ahmad said. “Miles lives in Saleh and I always say to Kachi, “Miles is fine. As long as Sale is fine, Miles is fine.” ”
Both mothers hope that their stories encourage others to become organ donors.
“I hope this is a real inspiration for everyone. I realized that good things can come from it,” Wilson said. “It's not just all sadness. You can see your loved one alive through someone else. I hope everyone will think of it after seeing our story.”
Wilson plans to take her family to North Carolina to visit Ahmad again this summer.
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