When Kristina passed in September 2013, her organs gave five people a second chance at life. One of them was Susan Vieira, a 64-year-old woman from Campbell, California, who had been on the heart transplant waiting list since July while battling congestive heart failure.
Kristina's heart saved her.
After recovering, Susan found her way to the Facebook page created in Kristina's memory and connected with Sandra Chesterman. The two met in person after Susan's hospital discharge — a retired nurse now carrying the heart of a nursing student who never got to finish her degree.
When Susan learned about Kristina's bucket list, she made a promise: she would work through it on Kristina's behalf. She set her sights on learning to fly a plane, riding in a hot-air balloon, and traveling the world — all things Kristina had written down and never got to do.
"It just felt so good to be close to Kristina's heart."
— Susan Vieira
Susan completed several items from the list before she passed away. But the love she carried — and the connection she forged with Sandra — is part of Kristina's story now.
Kristina's five organ recipients include two infants who received portions of her liver, a family friend who received one of her kidneys, and Susan, who received her heart. The Chesterman family was able to contact four of the five recipients.
ABC News report — "Heart Recipient Honors 21-Year-Old Donor," October 2014
Story originally reported by Ryan Broderick, BuzzFeed News, April 10, 2014.