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Heart donor’s family unexpectedly meets recipient at Cardinals game

This was a Cardinals game two families will never forget.

ST. LOUIS – It was ‘Transplant Awareness Day’ at the Cardinals game on April 28 and the family of a heart donor unexpectedly met the recipient of their loved one’s heart.

Donovan Douglas Bulger, 21, passed away in 2016. According to his obituary, he saved eight or more lives. ‘Donovan's wish to be an organ donor was fulfilled by saving eight or more lives, most specifically 25 years and under. He gave "The gift of life" so he will live on through others.’

His family went to the Cardinals game on ‘Transplant Awareness Day’ in honor of him. While they were there, they were getting their picture taken – that’s when a woman asked, “are you Donovan’s family?”

His family wore shirts with a photo of him on it, so that's how the recipient's daughter recognized them.

Savannah Chavez Roesch shared this on her Facebook,

'Today was a day I will NEVER EVER forget!!!!! This is definitely an amazing experience & am just SO blown away!! The video just says it all!!

So most of you already know my brother was an organ donor. A year ago we received a letter from the recipient of his heart. I wrote back & put some pictures of Donovan along with it so they could put a face to his new heart. In the letters you cannot put any identifying information in them (last name, age, where you live etc) so it's such an intense feeling knowing you are so close to contact but really no idea who they are.

We got tickets to the Cardinal's game for the Donate Life day. All that know me know that I do not like baseball! But we go to honor my baby brother!! We got our group picture taken & as I'm giving my email address to the photographer to send the copy to me I hear a woman as "Are you Donovan's family?" I didn't really think much of it. I thought that it was someone that worked with him or knew him from school.

It was the recipient of Donovan Bulger 's heart!!!!!!!!! His daughter recognized the picture on our shirts & told her mom she thinks it's Donovan's family!!!! Without hesitation her mom came up to us & asked because they were just as eager to know who we were just as we were eager to meet them!! We were all in COMPLETE SHOCK & AWE!!! I think everyone in the ballpark heard our cries & shrieks of complete shock & joy!!!! I had been waiting to hear back from them since I wrote that letter & to FINALLY meet him & his WONDERFUL family COMPLETELY RANDOM by chance like that was a feeling I CANNOT even begin to describe!!!! We went back & got a group picture with our new found family!!!

I think Donovan arranged us to meet this way. What are the chances of this happening?!? I'm still in complete SHOCK!!!!! Thank you Angie for making our shirts!!!!! If it wasn't for us wearing them, this never would have happened!!! We would have walked past each other & would have never met!!!!!!

#DONATELIFE 💚❤'

For more information about organ donation follow the links below.

Donate Life Missouri

Mid-America Transplant

Click here if you can't see the YouTube video

RELATED: A kidney transplant reunion you have to see to believe

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