Organ Donation Unites Families After Girl Receives Life-Saving Heart Transplant

Despite having never previously met, 7-year-old Mireya Moody and Lisa Schein hugged one another tightly, for a long time, as tears streamed down their faces.

In the summer of 2024, that moment took place in a park close to Mireya's residence in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Lisa and her family, overwhelmed by grief due to the sudden death of their young daughter, Maddy Schein, from an ATV accident, had made the generous decision to donate Maddy's organs.

“I wanted to run up to Mireya, squeeze her and never let her go because that was all I had left of my girl,” says Lisa. “Meeting Mireya’s mom, Bianca, talking with her and hearing her story about Mireya's illness was hard, but it helps to know a piece of Maddy lives on.” 

Maddy’s heart is beating strongly inside of Mireya’s chest, which Lisa got to hear through a special stethoscope that also recorded the steady, thumping beat.

“It was a beautiful embrace,” recalls Bianca Robinson, the mother of now-8-year-old Mireya. “Until just before we met Maddy’s family, Mireya didn’t really understand exactly what getting a new heart meant. She thought she was going to meet Maddy. But after we explained it to her, that Maddy wasn’t here anymore, Mireya just knew Lisa needed a hug.”

The most painful aspect of heart transplantation is someone must pass away for another person to live. And Bianca – while ecstatic a donor heart had been found in April 2024 for her critically ill daughter – was overcome by sadness upon realizing another family had lost their own child.

“It’s a conflicting feeling, of relief but also guilt,” says Bianca. “I had been praying for this day, for months. But I knew what it meant for another family.”

Mireya was an energetic 4-year-old when her life suddenly changed on January 25, 2022. As Bianca worked at her job as HR manager for a medical transportation company, Mireya’s grandmother was providing daycare and was alarmed Mireya was uncharacteristically lethargic.

“By the time I picked her up, she had gotten worse,” Bianca explains. “That was strange because she had been fine when I left that morning. She didn’t even have the energy to walk to the car.”

After Mireya had bouts of vomiting, and couldn’t sleep that night, Bianca took her to a hospital emergency department. It didn’t take long for doctors to determine the cause of her illness. Mireya had left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) cardiomyopathy, a rare and serious form of heart failure.

“We were in shock,” states Bianca, speaking of her and Mireya’s father, Jay Moody. “We couldn’t comprehend, at the time, how it was possible. She had almost never been sick before.”

Immediately admitted to the hospital, Mireya began rounds of oral medications to control symptoms of the disease, which in her case were severe forms of tachycardia (rapid heartbeat) and other heart arrythmias. But Mireya’s body couldn’t tolerate the medications, and her condition worsened. She was sleeping all day and not talking.

After three weeks, the medical team suggested Bianca seek specialty cardiovascular treatment. Without hesitation Bianca chose to move Mireya to Cleveland Clinic Children’s.

Upon her arrival at, Mireya was examined by Gerard Boyle, MD, a pediatric heart function and transplant cardiologist. Upon meeting Dr. Boyle, Bianca recalls, she was immediately put at ease by his honest assessment of Mireya’s condition and his empathy.

“Dr. Boyle made an instant connection with us. He and his team were always transparent and knew what we needed. I’ll never forget, one of the first things he said was, ‘You’re going to get through this, but it isn’t going to be easy,’ and he suggested we see a mental health therapist. He helped us realize this was very serious and would change our lives forever.”

According to Dr. Boyle, LVNC occurs due to a malformation in the heart’s muscle distribution. “Normally, the left ventricle should be a very smooth surface. But Mireya’s had abnormal (spongy and thick) muscle bundles that made it difficult for the heart to contract and pump blood throughout her body.”

While LVNC is treatable, it can’t be cured – and in severe cases, like Mireya’s, the only option is a heart transplant.

As the care team went through the process of placing Mireya on the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) national waiting list, Dr. Boyle temporarily attached her to a Berlin Heart, a mechanical ventricular assist device (VAD) that serves as a bridge for patients awaiting heart transplants by helping stabilize their condition and maintain strength. 

Because donor hearts, especially those suitable for young children, are rare, patients can wait up to a year or more to receive a heart.

“You can’t do anything but rely on your faith and the healthcare professionals. I felt helpless and angry, not understanding why this was going on and why it had to happen to her,” says Bianca.

On April 2, 2022, Bianca – who had been relieved at Mireya’s bedside by her mother – had been sleeping at the nearby Ronald McDonald House when she awoke at 6 a.m. to numerous messages from her mother and members of Mireya’s care team. A suitable heart had been found.

Bianca recalls, “My mom said, ‘They think they found a heart.’ I got to the hospital as quickly as I could. The nurses were crying right along with me.”

Two days later, Mireya underwent an 8-hour heart transplant operation. She had very few complications, although she remained non-verbal for many days. She was recovering quickly and was transferred to Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital for Rehabilitation sooner than expected.

From the first moment there, she “took off like a rocket!” Bianca exclaims. “The day she transitioned to the rehab hospital was the first day she smiled! That was so amazing. I think she could tell things were changing for the better, and the smile was her way of telling us everything will be OK.”

Soon, Mireya was talking and walking again. She did so well in speech, occupational and physical therapy sessions her anticipated 8-week stay was shortened to three weeks. “Nothing keeps her from being a normal 8-year-old,” Bianca adds. “She knows she’s a little bit different from other kids, but it doesn’t define her. She hasn’t had any major illnesses or problems to keep her from being herself. She’s a champ!”

"Pediatric heart transplants have seen significant advancements over the years, giving children like Mireya a second chance at life,” says pediatric and congenital heart surgeon Hani Najm, MD. “However, the key to this life-saving surgery still lies with those who become organ donors. The generosity of the donor and their family can turn into a hopeful beginning for someone else."

Dr. Boyle looks forward to Mireya’s visits, for periodic checkups or biopsies. “She is a delightful child. She makes us all laugh. When she comes into the catheterization lab, she’s singing.”

Throughout Mireya’s health journey, Bianca let Lifeline of Ohio know she would be open to being contacted by the donor’s family, if they were willing. That occurred about one year later, when Bianca received a letter from Lisa.

As they shared stories about Mireya and Maddy, both moms were amazed by the girls’ similarities. Bianca says, “The way Lisa described Maddy, she and Mireya sounded like they were practically the same child.” They both liked to sing and loved similar movies.

“We learned the girls even shared some of the same phrases,” Lisa says. “I also loved being able to tell them stories about who Maddy was --about her infectious laugh and bubbly personality. I think that’s when my heart began to start healing.” 

Mireya loves stuffed toys – as did Maddy. Mireya’s favorite, which she sleeps with every night, is a cuddly plushie, shaped like an avocado. It was a gift from the Schein family at their first meeting. Mireya named it Maddy.