Medford man meets heart transplant donor’s family

A Medford man met the family of the man who gave him a new heart.

News 12 Staff

Nov 15, 2019, 10:37 PM

Updated 1,616 days ago

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A Medford man met the family of the man who gave him a new heart.
Raymond Miehl met Ashley Brayton of Ohio on Friday, the daughter of the man who’s heart he received in a transplant.
Over three years ago, Miehl was near death and his heart only pumped blood at 5% capacity. “I knew that if I didn't get a heart very soon, I wouldn't make it,” says Miehl.
At the same time, Ronnie Davis, a registered organ donor, died of a drug overdose at the age of 46.
From that tragedy, Miehl, who’s now 62, was given a second shot at life.
At MacArthur Airport, Miehl met his donor’s daughter for the first time. They both say they felt a strong connection.
“When you lose a loved one, usually they're just gone. And I feel like I still have part of my dad here,” says Davis.
Davis adds that her father’s heart has always been resilient. “He wore his heart on his sleeve, he felt other people's pain, he cried when they cried. He was just a big-hearted guy. So, it made sense that he had a strong heart and it was able to save Ray.”
Miehl, Davis and their spouses plan to spend the weekend together in Suffolk County. They say there will be many more visits in the future.
 


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