A Minneapolis man received more than just a new heart after a successful transplant in 2005 - he fell in love with the donor's sister and they are now a couple.
Connor Rabinowitz was just 17 when his life was saved by an organ donation from a family in Seattle, after their son Kellen Roberts tragically died in freak accident at 22.
Connor, now 25, got to know the Roberts family in the years following the operation and, in particular, felt a deep connection with daughter Erin, 32.
The pair began a long-distance relationship and then in 2012 he moved to Seattle so they can be together.
Erin's brother, Kellen, was visiting a friend in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, when he fell and died from head injuries.
Next door in Minnesota, the teenage Rabinowitz was being kept alive by a mechanical heart and had been waiting three months for a transplant.
His promising baseball career had been cut short after he was diagnosed with a hereditary condition that enlarged and weakened his heart muscle.
Connor was in dire need of a transplant and Kellen's heart was a perfect match. Just eight days after the operation, Connor was able to go home.
Connor made regular visits to the Roberts family in Seattle over the years and couple's relationship developed. In 2011, they made their romantic feelings official.
Erin's mother, Nancy Roberts, explained the story to the West Seattle Herald: 'Through visits back and forth, Connor and Erin fell in love.
'She feels an ease and comfort and acceptance and love that she hasn't felt before.'
According to the Star Tribune, whenever Erin really misses her brother, she rests her head on Connor’s chest. 'It’s a strong beat,' Erin said.
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TXT 24
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