Man who received heart transplant walks organ donor’s daughter down the aisle

Even though Michael Stepien died 10-years-ago, a part of him walked his daughter down the aisle of a Pittsburgh church Saturday.

After his death, Stepien’s heart was given to Arthur “Tom” Thomas of New Jersey, ABC reports. For Stepien's daughter, Jeni Stepien Maenner, that was enough to keep her father’s spirit alive.

Jeni and Thomas have been in touch since the transplant. The two became so close through messages, she asked Thomas to be a part of her wedding at St. Anselm church in Swissvale Aug. 6, according to CBS Pittsburgh. Thomas, who's alive because of the transplant, agreed.

A day before the wedding, Jeni felt her father's heartbeat for the first time, CBS Pittsburgh reports.

The next day, Thomas walked Jeni down the aisle, where she wed the love of her life, Paul. Thomas was even part of a father-daughter dance.

“It truly was the best day of MY ENTIRE LIFE," Jeni wrote on Facebook. "To be able to bring my dad home and have him at my wedding was an absolute dream COME TRUE!”

Beyond her father's heartbeat, there is something else she hopes guests heard: a message about organ donation. Since the wedding, the story of Jeni and Thomas has gone viral.

“If I helped just one person change their mind to become an organ donor, my wish in sharing my story has come true,” Jeni said on Facebook.

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