On Tuesday, the recipient was able to meet the donor's family for the first time.
[Ads /]
Miriam Nieves, 62, said the face-to-face meeting made her heart race -- her new heart that was transplanted in April as part of a first-of-its-kind surgery at Montefiore Health System.
"They are my family now, I am alive because of my family," Nieves said.
Brittany Newton, 30, of Louisiana, was a registered organ donor and HIV-positive.
Since 2013, HIV patients have been allowed to donate organs to others who are HIV-positive.
Nieves contracted the virus during years of substance abuse. She has been clean for 30 years but in declining health.
[Ads /]
When doctors evaluated her for a kidney transplant, they determined her heart wouldn't survive the surgery -- she needed both organs.
While some 3,800 heart transplants were performed last year in the U.S., less than 50 HIV-positive patients have ever gotten a heart from a non-HIV-positive donor -- meaning Nieves' chances were next to nil.
"There's a quiet intellectual discrimination that goes on with HIV patients, what I mean by that is a lot of centers don't feel they're comfortable taking care of these people," said Dr. Daniel Goldstein.
The biggest obstacle is giving already immunocompromised patients even more immuno-suppressing medicine to fight rejection.
But for Nieves, the surgery was a new lease on life.
"I know Brittany had a lot of energy because my family can't keep up with me anymore," Nieves said.
[Ads /]
The medical breakthrough left both families thankful during the holiday season.
"It came at the right time, I hate the way it came, but it came at the right time, my child is still walking around, and for that I will be forever grateful, believe that," Brittany's mother Bridgette newtown said.
ALSO READ | 'Corn Kid' helps donate 90,000 cans of vegetables to NYC food rescue for Thanksgiving
'Corn Kid' helps donate 90,000 cans of veggies to NYC food rescue
----------
* More Bronx news
* Send us a news tip
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
* Follow us on YouTube
Submit a News Tip