Grieving mum hears her little girl’s heart beating again in another child

A mum in the US was able to hear her daughter's heart beating again one year after the seven-year-old died as a result of a severe asthma attack.

Brave mum Amber met the little girl who received her daughter Melody's heart in a transplant operation. Amber chose to donate Melody's organs after she died as a result of a a sudden asphyxic asthma attack. Peyton Richardson, the recipient of Melody's heart had been kept waiting for months on a transplant list after a cold virus attacked her heart. The New York Post reports that the four-year-old was in an Atlanta hospital, where machines kept her heart pumping, when her family learned that Melody's tragic death meant the gift of life for Peyton. Amber took to Facebook last night to thank well-wishers for their kind words and support, and said her goal now is to keep Melody's legacy and memory alive,

"Saying goodbye to Melody is the hardest thing I have ever done. I knew, in an instant, that my life was forever changed. Every happy event is shadowed in sadness because she is not here, and the hard times are even harder without her beautiful soul to light up the room. Melody was destined for greatness. She was kind, gentle, smart, sassy and spunky. Her purposely mismatched cloths and squeaky voice were just a small part of her charm. I'll never understand why, no answer will ever be good enough. I have learned to survive despite being permanently broken and have been held up by the support of amazing family and friends. My goal is to keep Melody's legacy and memory alive. I can't live in a world without Melody, so all of us that loved her must share our stories, our memories and the good times so she continues on."

Amber also got the chance to meet Melissa, her daughter's kidney recipient, and says meeting both girls and their families has brought her some peace and closure,

"I am forever grateful for that. Peyton and her mom are amazing strong people and I am touched and honoured to call them family. Melody's kidney recipient, Melissa, is equally amazing! One day I may know the rest of the names and faces of those Melody saved, I look forward to that day. Hug your babies tight, my friends. Read an extra book, sing an extra song, make a new memory, in honour of Melody."

Organ donation has resulted in over 6,000 transplant operations in Ireland alone. Heart transplants first commenced in Ireland in September 1985 at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and specialists say that the size, weight and condition of the heart are critical in this transplant operation. The Irish Kidney Association say that, since 1964, over 4,000 kidney transplants have been carried out and there are currently over 2,000 people in Ireland on dialysis. The most recent figures available from the HSE show that there was an increase in organ donation in 2015 with 81 deceased donors, compared to 63 in 2014. The total number of transplants was 266, a number which is up six on the 2014 figures, but substantially below the record number of 294 in 2013. If you would like to request an organ donor card you can do so here. Join the conversation on Twitter @HerFamilydotie