When it got into the virus on social media, a seven-year-old from Apex gave the bride a bittersweet wedding gift carrying part of his son who died in the aisle.
Saleh Ahmad's chest struck a heart that was donated by 4-year-old Myles Godfrey, who was killed in a car accident three years ago. Godfrey's mother, Kachi Wilson, invited the Ahmad family to their wedding in Georgia over the weekend.
“We decided to have a small ceremony so we immediately texted (the family) to see if they could come, as we wanted a complete surprise for the whole family and our new husband,” Wilson said.
On April 18, 2023, Wilson and her sons were forced into a driveway at their Murphy, North Carolina home, when someone slammed the car from behind, pulling it into the driveway, reaching 60 mph. She said Godfrey had a major brain injury left.
“He was in the hospital for a few days and then we had to decide to take him out of everything,” Wilson said. “I'll be totally honest. At first, it was a kind of emotional mix. We didn't know if we would do that.
“Then you have to sit down and think about what Miles wants? What do we want in the future? Whether that's his decision, he wants us to help someone else.”
Meanwhile, Saleh Ahmad, hundreds of miles away in North Carolina, was on the waiting list for a heart transplant for three years. His mother, Yara Ahmad, said her son was born in a serious heart condition.
“He spent almost five years of his life in the hospital, so his life was not at all stable. Always fear, worry, [and] It's an unknown future for him,” Yara Ahmad said of her son.
“[A] The transplant itself is a journey, but it is a journey of happiness. ”
Yara Ahmad said her son started going to school and now he plays like other children.
“In fact, he's just beginning to discover this life because he's always in the hospital and lives like a normal child, and now his life is just beginning,” Yara Ahmad said. “It changed the whole family. How we see life and how we enjoy it as a family.
There was another twist during the porting process. After Saleh's surgery, the mother of the patient next door knew Wilson and her family. When she realized that Miles's mind had gone to Saleh, she connected the two mothers.
“We started texting until we met in person this weekend,” Yara Ahmad said.
Shortly after the family met before the ceremony, Wilson heard Sale's heartbeat with a stethoscope.
“That's all I was hearing,” Wilson said. “I didn't hear anything that everyone was saying, I didn't hear anything else. It was a very surprising experience. I can't even put it into words.
Wilson held hands and walked down the aisle with Sale. There are hundreds of views in the video posted by Yara Ahmad on Facebook.
“She lost her son, but found him on her heartbeat,” Yara Ahmad said. “Miles lives in Saleh and I always say to Kachi, Miles is fine. As long as Sale is fine, Miles is fine.
“We don't think of anyone who has gotten an organ and a donor family right now. We're a single family and I was Sale (Miles' brother), they're your brother now.
Both mothers hope that their stories encourage others to become organ donors.
“If you're on the unclear side about whether or not you're going to donate organs, I hope this is a true inspiration for everyone. “It's not just all sadness. You can see your loved one alive through someone else. I hope everyone thinks about it after seeing our story.”
Wilson plans to take her family to North Carolina to visit Ahmad again this summer.
