At one time, Rod Carew thought the crack of the bat was the best sound on the planet. Not anymore. Now it’s his own heartbeat.

The 71-year-old baseball Hall of Famer, who was a seven-time American League batting champion, received a new heart and kidney from former NFL tight end Konrad Reuland, who tragically died in December at 29 years old following a brain aneurysm.

Let’s backtrack a bit. Carew suffered a heart attack on a golf course in 2015, and doctors inserted a mechanical heart device. However it wasn’t working properly, so more than a year later, he was put on the transplant list.

Reuland, a Standford graduate, entered the NFL undrafted and played for the 49ers, Jets, Ravens, and Colts. While he was running on a treadmill in November, he developed a severe headache, and had brain surgery weeks later. However, complications prevented him from ever waking up.

PITTSBURGH – SEPTEMBER 16: Tight end Konrad Reuland

The Reuland family had a tough decision to make. Wait and hope that their son and brother would defy all the odds, or cease intervention and allow his vital organs to live on in someone else.

The Reuland’s chose the latter. They didn’t know who would receive Konrad’s organs, but because both men played professional sports and lived in southern California, their shared community helped them put two and two together after the transplant was complete. With a little digging from Konrad’s mother, Mary, and Carew’s wife, Rhonda, the “anonymous” donor/recipient label was no more.

The American Heart Association recently released, “How Rod Carew learned his new heart came from a former NFL player,” detailing how the two families have been linked for over 20 years, and how a 71-year-old could receive an organ from a 29-year-old — something that usually doesn’t happen.

…It happened this time because of Hepatitis B.

Rhonda was told the donor carried a trace of the disease, making him immune. A recipient had to also be immune or they’d be susceptible to developing the disease. This eliminated everyone ahead of Carew.

Ironically, during his MLB career, Carew wore the number 29.

But, the story goes on. The two families met in March and the American Heart Association released some videos that are well worth your time.

“Remember, you’re a part of our family now…and that makes me happy,” Mary Reuland told Carew upon meeting him. “I’m just happy that my son’s heart, through you, is standing back in its home.”

 

And here’s when the Reuland’s were able to listen to their son’s heart, through Carew, with a  stethoscope.

What a story. What an act of strength from both families.